Pools of blood and rodent infestations: Seven Closure Orders served on food business in May
Seven food businesses across Ireland were served with closure orders in May including a restaurant at a hospital.
According to the FSAI, the seven Closure Orders were served on the following businesses.
* Long Thanh, 14 North Strand Road, Dublin 3
* Saint Ita's Hospital (Closed area: Seascapes Restaurant only), Portrane Road, Portrane, Co. Dublin
* O'Riordan's Bar (Closed area: two dry goods/cold storerooms off bar), Main Street Coachford, Cork
* New Century (take away), 6 Prospect Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 9
* Maneki (restaurant/café), 43 Dawson Street, Dublin 2
* KFC, 16 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2
* Kebabish (take away), Main Street, Bruree, Limerick
The FSAI says that some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders served in May include: a container of cooked chicken left on a dirty sink near pools of blood, raw chicken left on top of lettuce; surfaces encased in a thick layer of dirt and grease; multiple cases of rodent infestations, with empty pasta bags containing mouse droppings and a rodent caught in a trap; inadequate pest-proofing with a high number of possible entry points; sushi not being prepared safely, with a lack of appropriate handwashing procedure and no sterilisation of food containers following use; food thawed at unsafe temperatures; a lack of necessary handwashing facilities; foodstuffs stored without date or name labels, with trays of cooked rice stored without a label and pepperoni slices and other pizza toppings stored uncovered; staff not properly trained and lacking clean and appropriate clothing.
Commenting, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that food businesses must take care to prepare, store and defrost foods at appropriate temperatures.
“Care should be taken when preparing all foods, particularly for high-risk foods like sushi which needs specific food safety controls. Improper defrosting of food has been noted by Environmental Health Officers. Defrosting should only be undertaken in refrigerators, as otherwise bacteria can multiply at room temperatures.
“As noted in our recent Breakfast Bite webinar on setting up a food business, all food businesses must adhere to mandatory food legislation, regardless of how long established they may be. A failure to do so can pose a grave and immediate risk to public health. By following best practices for food safety and hygiene, food businesses can produce safe food. Also, consumers can rest assured that enforcement measures will be applied to food businesses that do not meet their legal obligations,” said Dr Byrne.