Indian Restaurant in the centre of Carlow Town hit with a closure order from the FSAI

Indian restaurant, Shapla Indian Spice, was served with closure orders under the EU Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation Regulations at the end of November.

The restaurant which is located in the centre of Carlow Town at Hanover Court, Kennedy Avenue on the 27th of November and had the orders lifted on the 29th of November 2024 after failing inspection from the HSE.

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The particular reasons in which the restaurant was issued its closing orders are as follows:

"Food premises are to be kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition"

There was grease leaking from a pipe underneath the food preparation sink. The grease was
leaking into an open plastic container.

The grease trap was in a filthy condition. There was a build-up of grease and it was evident the
grease trap had not been cleaned or serviced recently. There was foul odour emanating from the
grease trap and evident in the area adjacent to the food preparation sink.

A number of other reasons were also cited:

There was bird droppings on the window sill in the hallway and on the back stair way.

There was no food grade sanitiser available for cleaning worktops and equipment in contact with
food.

The back stairway was unclean and there was a build-up of items no longer in use on the
stairway of the premises where food deliveries are received. There were items used for cleaning
the premises left on the dirty floor in the area. The bannister of the stairwell was being used to dry
cleaning cloths. During the visit, food recently delivered (two bags of rice, three bags of onions, a
bag of coconut flour) was observed sitting directly on the ground at the bottom of the stairway.

And a number of issues in relation to the level of cleaning on the premises are detailed in the report as well.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that breaches of food safety legislation can pose a real danger to consumer health and there has to be a significant focus on maintaining food safety procedures by food businesses as they enter what is typically the busiest time of year.

“With the Christmas period already underway and the corresponding significant increase in demand for food services, food businesses must ensure that they maintain the highest food safety standards at all times, most especially at these busy times, when cutting corners or letting standards lapse could result in a health risk to consumers. Consumers have a right to safe food, and there is a personal responsibility on owners, managers and all employees to comply with food safety legal requirements at all times. Neglecting food safety demonstrates a disregard for the well-being of customers and potentially places their health at an unnecessary risk. There can be zero tolerance for negligent practices that put consumers’ health at risk, and the full powers of food law will be used if a food business is found to be in breach. Food businesses must ensure there is a strong food safety culture in place, including adequate training for all staff. This simply must be a top priority for food businesses,” said Dr Byrne.