'Alarming' - Heavy rodent activity among reasons for 21 food business closures in April

Rodent and cockroach activity are among the reasons for 21 food business closures in April. 

According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), it is the highest rate of enforcement orders since November 2019, when the same number were also issued. 

Fifteen Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998, on:

• Ginger Lillies Chinese Restaurant, 18 Mulgrave Street, Limerick
• Medina Kebab (Lets Eat) (Take away), 329 Blarney Street, Cork
• Georgian Delight (service sector), Kitchen 3, 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1
• Sabor Nordestino (restaurant/café), 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1
• Spicy Bite (restaurant/café), Unit 1, Moore Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1
• Mroz (retailer), Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1
• Smaczne.Go! (restaurant/café), Moore Street Mall, 58/66 Parnell Street, North City, Dublin 1
• D Candy (retailer), Main Street, Roscommon
• Uptown Restaurant, Old Milk Market Lane, Killarney, Kerry
• Payless Grocery & Meat, 46 Port Road, Letterkenny, Donegal
• Bites By Kwanghi (restaurant/café), Capital Dock, 83 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2
• Fresh (restaurant/café), Capital Dock, 4-5 Stephens Walk, Dublin 2
• Musashi Noodles and Sushi (restaurant/café), 15 Capel Street, Dublin 1
• All Bar Chicken (Closed area: the kitchen and storage areas) (restaurant/café), 47 Nassau Street, Dublin 2
• Fortune Terrace (restaurant/café), 46-49 O’Connell Street Upper, Dublin 1

Six Closure Orders was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

• Chicking (restaurant/café), Unit 3, O’Boyce’s Corner, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
• Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel (Closed areas: the operations from Albert & Behan Kitchen, PJ’s Kitchen and Mapas Kitchen – the serving of beverages from the bar area is not affected by this closure order), Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, Co. Dublin
• Café Brazil (retailer), 63 Thomas Street, Dublin 8
• The Ballsy Baker (Closed activity: preparation production and sale of food product with the claim ‘Nut Free’ and ‘Gluten Free’, and internet sites or social media sites it operates promoting and advertising the sale of food with these claims) (retailer), 10 Saint Mochtas Lawn, Clonsilla, Dublin 15
• Oriental Pantry (retailer), 22-23 Moore Street, Dublin 1
• Pastel King (restaurant/café), 22-23 Moore Street, Dublin 1

Health inspectors found evidence of rodent infestation at some of the businesses, as well as significant amounts of rodent droppings, ongoing cockroach infestation, mouse droppings in multiple food areas, heavy rodent and cockroach activity.

They also discovered the sale of food with the claim ‘nut free’ or ‘gluten free’ in a premises that contains tree nuts and peanuts, as well as premises not kept in a sufficiently hygienic condition, and evidence of altering the ‘use by’ dates and batch numbers on food and providing false labels on food.

Additionally, walls of an establishment were in a poor state of structural repair with extensive dampness, mould growth and flaking, food handlers were not supervised or instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity, and there was failure to establish, maintain and provide evidence of a food safety culture. 

Chief Executive of the FSAI, Dr Pamela Byrne, said that the high number of Closure Orders needing to be served in April is alarming. 

She said, "Twenty one Closure Orders served in one month is the highest number since November 2019, when the same number were also issued.

Amongst the reasons for the Closure Orders in April, a lack of adequate procedures to control pests was frequently cited. This resulted in evidence of widespread mice and cockroach activity, which leads to a serious risk of food being contaminated and poses a grave and immediate danger to public health.

"Food businesses must ensure that their food business is properly pest proofed, and that they take effective action if there is a pest infestation.

"Each month, we issue the list of Enforcement Orders as a deterrent, but it seems that last month, food safety fell off the list of priorities for quite a number of food businesses.

"Consumers have a right to safe food and food safety must always be a top priority for food businesses. There are no excuses. Food safety is a legal requirement for all food businesses."