There were nine enforcement orders issued to food businesses last month.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served eight Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order in September for breaches of food safety legislation.
Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders include dead and live crawling insects on surfaces and bakery equipment on the premises, a live rat coming out of the drain when the tap at the kitchen sink was switched on and four flies seen in dough mixture.
They also found some of the businesses had no allergen information available for customers, no wash hand basin in a raw meat preparation area, no pest-proofing system in place and dirt and black mould engrained on chopping boards and a preparation block.
They found some food preparation was carried out in a storage shed, some foods were stored in dirty containers with old food debris and dirt accumulating, while some stored food beyond their use-by dates and another stored open bags of ready-to-eat salad on the floor.
One business had a foul smell coming from the drain servicing the dishwasher while another had rust, mould and dirt on its ice machine and another had a build-up of food debris under floor mats.
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI, emphasised that food businesses owners must ensure that training their staff in food safety and hygiene is their highest priority.
Dr Byrne said: “It is very concerning to see that the reasons for Closure Orders this month were mainly due to filthy conditions and unhygienic practices.
"It is essential that food businesses have a strong food safety and hygiene culture in their business, which can be achieved through ongoing training of all members of their team.
“Closure Orders and Prohibition Orders are served on food businesses only when a serious risk to consumer health has been identified or where there are a number of ongoing serious breaches of food legislation. There is absolutely no excuse for careless practices.”
- The Nine Enforcement Orders in September 2018 were:
- Two Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
- Echemas Trading Store (retailer), 11 Upper Gerald Griffin Street, Limerick
- Khyber Garden (restaurant), 11 Market Street, Kells, Meath
- Six Closure Orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
- Oldcourt East Bakery, 1 Main Street, Castlelyons, Cork
- Bengal Indian Foodstall, Trading at Semple Stadium, Thurles, Tipperary
- Kings (takeaway), Unit 8, Bayside Shopping Centre, Bayside, Sutton, Dublin 13
- Super Ketones (retailer), 76 Prospect Hill, Galway
- Mint Leaf (restaurant), 157 Drumcondra Road Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
- Baby Pure Water Limited (packaged water), Ardbraccan, Navan, Meath
- One Prohibition Order was served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
- Baby Pure Water Limited (packaged water), Ardbraccan, Navan, Meath
