Hundreds of food products removed from popular shop in Kildare amid 'rat infestation'

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported that Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) served five Closure Orders and five Prohibition Orders on food businesses during the month of September for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.

Among those five Prohibition Orders, a popular retailer in Kildare came under fire by the HSE as hundreds of food products were removed from the premises to be destroyed.

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BK Foods Limited, located in Clongorey, Newbridge, county Kildare was served a Prohibition Order on September 5, 2025, for failing to comply with particular food legislation.

During the inspection, the authorised officer from the HSE ordered that some of the food that was being sold on the premises was:

• Not used for human consumption
• Restricted or prohibited from being placed on the market
• Withdrawn from sale (whether or not the product is on the market for sale in the State or elsewhere)
• Recalled from sale or distribution (whether or not the food is on sale or being or has been distributed for sale in
  the State or elsewhere)

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• As appropriate in the interests of public health, is rendered safe for human consumption or detained or
  destroyed in a manner prescribed by the authorised officer: Products to be removed from their
  wrapping/packaging for disposal or packs to be opened prior to disposal.

All dry goods, i.e. food, beverages and food packaging located in the warehouse were subject to removal with immediate effect on the date of inspection.

Evidence of non-compliance noted by the inspecting officer included:

• The layout, design and construction of the food premises does not permit good food hygiene practices and in particular, pest control.
• Food products and food packaging are stored in a warehouse that is not adequately pest-proofed resulting in a rat infestation through-out the premises.

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• Adequate procedures were not in place to control pests in the premises. A live rat was spotted in the premises and rat
  droppings were visible on the floor and shelving through-out the warehouse where foodstuffs and food packaging was stored.

The Prohibition Order took immediate effect following the HSE's inspection. You can read the full report here.