Ten closure orders were served on food businesses last month by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland including a Crèche & Montessori in Co. Wexford.
Discoveryland Crèche & Montessori was served a closure order under the FSAI Act, 1998.
According to the food hygiene inspection report, the business was ordered to close due to rodent infestation, incorrect storage of high-risk foods, and failure to maintain the food premises in a clean condition.
The report said: "Rodent droppings were observed under a sink in the baby changing room.
"Rodent droppings were also observed on a shelf and behind a fridge in the kitchen of the baby room. In this kitchen, a toaster and fruit juice cartons for consumption by children were on the same shelf where rodent droppings were found.
"In a second pre-school room rodent droppings were found on a kitchen shelf adjacent to clean tea towels"
According to pest control records there has been a history of pest activity at this premises since November 2022.
The second reason for the closure order was due to the incorrect storage of high-risk foods.
The report said: "Lunches containing high-risk food such as cooked rice and pasta were stored at ambient temperature on a window sill in the ECC1 kitchen for more than 2.5 hours."
There was also insufficient fridge space in preschool rooms to safely store all food and one fridge in the baby room was operating at 9.6 degrees Celsius which could result in a risk to health.
The third and final reason for the closure was due to not maintaining the food premises in a clean condition.
The report said: "Shelving where foods and food contact equipment were stored was found to be in an unclean state with rodent droppings noted adjacent to a toaster, clean tea towels, and fruit juice cartons."
Discoveryland Crèche & Montessori addressed the issue and has since reopened.
Closure orders were also served for businesses in Dublin, Offaly, and Roscommon last month due to "heavy cockroach activity" in a kitchen, with dozens of live cockroaches spotted in food preparation areas, and rats coming in contact with food including lettuce.
Chief Executive Dr. Pamela Byrne says businesses that fail to combat pest infestations are putting the health of their staff and customers at risk.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website Beat102103.com.
