There were eight enforcement orders issued to food businesses last month.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served seven Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order in October for breaches of food safety legislation.
Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders include live cockroaches crawling on walls in a dining area and live cockroaches behind a bin in a wash-up area and under a free-standing drinks fridge.
They also found staff wearing torn and unclean clothes, meat left at room temperature (20.3°C) and cooked pork stored at 12°C which is too high prevent bacteria from growing.
Enforcement officers also found the back door of a kitchen left open which they believed would allow rodents and flies to enter from a wheelie bin area.
In some of the premises there were plastic food containers and stainless steel food bowls being washed in the raw meat sink and left to dry on the adjacent raw meat preparation area, chopping boards which were filthy with ingrained dirt and black mould; shelving units in a kitchen filthy with dirt and laden with heavy grease deposits, an absence of hot water in a premises to clean dishes and no records to show staff had been trained in food hygiene.
- October Enforcement orders:
- One Closure Order were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
- Tasty Hut (takeaway), 61 Dorset Street, Dublin 1
- Six Closure Orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
- Diner Thai & Chinese Take-away, 1 Ongar Square, Dublin 15
- Mi Thai (restaurant), 87b Manor Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
- Regent Inn (restaurant/café), Unit 3, Haymarket, Drogheda, Louth
- Speedo Pizza Kebab (takeaway), 41 Lord Edward Street, Limerick
- Phoenix House (takeaway), Unit 6, Riversdale, Rathcormac, Cork
- Mike Sheahan Butchers, Church Street, Caherciveen, Kerry
- One Prohibition Order was served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
- Sheahan Butchers, Church Street, Caherciveen, Kerry
- One prosecution was served under the EC (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 369 of 2006) on:
- Zam Zam Kebab House, 16 Mallin Street, Wexford
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI said: "There continues to be numbers of food businesses who are failing to meet to their legal requirements under food law. Last month we saw food businesses fail to comply with hygiene and food storage standards and even failing to train staff in food hygiene practices.
"In one case there was even a widespread cockroach infestation throughout a premises. There were cases of inadequate refrigeration and the potential for cross-contamination too.
"This is not acceptable in any food business at any time, as it poses a serious risk to public health. Food businesses need to ensure that their premises has the right food safety management procedures in place to ensure pest control and best hygiene practice at all times.”
