Ireland’s food safety watchdog issued enforcement orders covering 10 establishments in September with evidence of rodent activity and food being sold beyond its use-by date among the public health issues identified.
Inspectors from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) also noted premises with an absence of hot water, soap or hygienic drying materials available at wash-hand basins in kitchens or staff toilets. They found ceilings, walls and floors of food preparation and cooking areas in some that were not clean, with significant accumulations of grease, dirt and old food residues.
Environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) served five closure orders, which are temporary, and five prohibition orders.
A SuperValu in the Hollyhill Shopping Centre, Hollyhill in Cork had two temporary closure orders issued, while a third such order was issued for the Wok In Noodle Bar on Stephen Street Lower, in Dublin.
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The New Leaf takeaway in Skerries, Co Dublin, was also issued with a closure order, with the preparation and sale of sushi and sashimi identified as the issue. The MOMO House in Letterkenny, Co Donegal also received such an order.
Two prohibition orders were served under the FSAI Act on VitalOrganico and its website, which operates out of a home in Castleknock, Co Dublin, and the Duud retailer on Huntstown Road in Blanchardstown, Dublin.
Inspectors issued three prohibition orders on Nearby Cashel on Main Street, Cashel, Co Tipperary; the XL convenience store on Main Street, Drumconrath, Navan, Co Meath; and BK Foods Limited in Newbridge, Co Kildare.
Food safety inspectors who visited the Supervalu shop in Cork noted “evidence of pest activity” under and behind a special offer refrigeration unit on the shop floor, with holes and gaps also noted on a cavity wall behind the sweet shelf on the shelf floor.
The inspectors said there was “likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health”, with a “a serious risk” of food being contaminated with pathogenic bacteria likely to render the food unfit for human consumption injurious to health, or contaminated in such a way that it would be unreasonable to expect it to be consumed in that state.
The XL convenience store was found to be selling cooked and raw meat products past their use-by dates. Rodent droppings were observed in the Wok In Noodle restaurant in Dublin.
“It’s concerning that we continue to see serious and recurring breaches of food safety law,” said the FSAI’s chief executive, Greg Dempsey. “These types of breaches are preventable where food businesses have a proper, robust food safety management system in place and ensure staff are adequately trained.”
Closure orders and improvement orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports 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.
