Inspectors find live rat, insects, flies, dirt and black mould in food outlets

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that 8 Closure Orders and 1 Prohibition Order were served on food businesses during the month of September for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010. The Enforcement Orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE). 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

Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in September include:

• no allergen information available for customers;
• dead and live crawling insects found on the premises;
• a live rat emanating from the drain when the tap at the kitchen sink was switched on;
• no wash hand basin in raw meat preparation area;
• food preparation in a storage shed;
• dirt and black mould ingrained on chopping boards and preparation block;
• no pest-proofing system in place;
• a foul odour emanating from the drain servicing the dishwasher;
• rust, mould and dirt on the ice machine;
• foods stored in dirty containers with accumulations of old food debris and dirt; food stored beyond their use-by dates;
• a build-up of food debris under floor mats;
• open bags of ready-to-eat salad being stored on the floor;
• four flies observed in dough mixture;
• numerous flies and crawling insects observed on surfaces and bakery equipment.

Commenting today, Dr. Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI emphasised that food businesses owners must ensure that training their staff in food safety and hygiene is their highest priority. "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. "Failure to recognise the importance of food safety in a food business reflects poorly not only on that business, but also on the entire food industry.” “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. "Food businesses have a duty of care to their customers and must serve food that is totally compliant with food safety legislation and hygiene standards. "There is absolutely no excuse for careless practices”, Dr. Byrne concluded. Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.