THE FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY is to re-emphasise the importance of food safety and hygiene to restaurants after six establishments were closed last month.

An improvement order was also served on one public house and another business was subject to a prohibition order, preventing it from selling oysters.

The closure orders were served on the following businesses for breaches in food safety legislation:

• T/A Oriental Express take-away, 131 Oliver Plunkett Road, Monkstown, Co. Dublin
• New Magic Wok take-away, 83 Swords Road, Santry, Dublin City
• Chief Changs Buffet restaurant, Omni Park Shopping Centre, Santry, Dublin City
• T/A Romany Stone Limited restaurant, Kilbride, Co. Wicklow
• Nice Star Takeaway, Main St., Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim
• Monks Bar & Restaurant (Closed area: kitchen, ancillary stores and food service facilities), Old Pier, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare

An improvement order was served on:

• Smiths of Phibsboro public house, 114 Phibsborough Road, Dublin City

A prohibition order was served on:

• Mr Paddy Cullen, Wexford Harbour, Wexford, against selling all pacific oysters grown in Wexford Harbour.

HSE West Region successfully prosecuted Mr Chris McCaul, Sligo Event Catering, Trading at Bonniconlon Show (food stall), Bonniconlon, Mayo, under the Hygiene of Foodstuffs Regulations 2006.

Prof Alan Reilly, Chief Executive of the FSAI said:

The number of enforcement orders served in February was double the number served in January,  which is a disappointing statistic to be reporting. We are re-emphasising to all food businesses to make food safety and hygiene a key priority for 2012.

Food businesses should be continuously reviewing their food safety policies and practices to ensure they protect consumer health in relation to food.  Enforcement Orders undermine consumer confidence and affect not only the premises involved, but the industry as a whole.  It is imperative that every food business takes responsibility for their own food safety management plan, in line with the legislation.

Details of the food businesses served with these enforcement orders are published on the FSAI’s website.

A closure order is served when it is decided that there is likely to be a “grave and immediate danger to public health at or in” a premises, or when establishments don’t comply with an improvement order.

An improvement order is served if it is deemed that any activity involving the handling or preparation of food will pose a risk to public health, while a prohibition order is issued if the activities are likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product or food item.

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