Rats, maggots and food debris - Closure orders served on over 10 food businesses in October

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has issued closure orders on 12 food businesses across the country in the month of October, with a total of 16 Enforcement orders handed out due breaches of food safety legislation.

The Enforcement Orders, issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and officers of the FSAI, were for a range of food safety reasons, including rats, maggots, food debris and more.

In a statement, the FSAI confirmed some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in October included "rat infestation, significant build-up of rodent droppings, presence of fruit and drain flies, live maggots on old food residue, extensive rodent droppings" and a range of other health-related breaches of food safety laws.

Other reasons issued were an inaccessible wash hand basin, a complete lack of cleaning, dirty food contact equipment and no evidence of a food safety management system.

The affected food businesses are as follows;

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

• Longfield Academy (Closed area: Main kitchen used for reheating food), Rockview, Deerpark Rd, Cashel, Tipperary
• The Restaurant within Carnew Mart, Carnew, Wicklow
• OCrualaoi Butchers & Delicatessen (Closed area: The Kitchen), Scoil Mhuire Fatima, North Monastery Primary School, North Monastery Road, Cork
• Eskimo Pizza (Take Away), 31 Deansgrange Road, Deansgrange, Co. Dublin
• Baking Emporium (Foods of non-Animal Origin Processing), Bridgemount House, Dunmanway, Cork
• NDM Green Italia (Take Away), 37 Rathmines Road Upper, Rathmines, Dublin 6
• Grain and Gain (Restaurant/Café), The Bypass Business Park, Bandon, Cork
• Tinakilly Country House Hotel (Closed Area: Main kitchen - food preparation end adjacent baking area within the main building), Main Street, Rathnew, Wicklow

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

• Tasty Mac's (Take Away), Main Street, Falcarragh, Donegal
• Welcome Home (Retailer), 2 Kickham Place, Tipperary Town, Tipperary
• CoCo Asian & Chinese Takeaway, Main Street, Ballingarry, Limerick
• Istanbul Kebab House (Restaurant/Café), 29 Lower Liffey Street, Dublin 1

One Improvement Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• Turkmen Grill, 1-2 Parnell Street, Limerick

Two Prohibition Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• Sean Kent (Under appeal), Ballyrichard, Arklow, Wicklow
• BD Trading (Wholesaler/ Distributor), Unit 1b Kiltoran Business Park, Ballyhale, Kilkenny

One Prohibition Order was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

• Superior Distribution Ireland Ltd (Wholesaler/ Distributor), Blackwater Farm, Clongiffen, Longwood, Meath

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, reiterated the need for food businesses to have adequate pest control systems in place; adding that businesses must operate strict food safety procedures at all times and that they need to be especially vigilant during this particularly busy time of year leading up to Christmas.

“Inadequate pest control measures, filthy premises and unsafe food storage are once again the primary reasons for the Enforcement Orders served in October," Dr Byrne said.

"A high number of the Enforcement Orders were associated with issues related to pests as well as failures to maintain adequate cleaning. These issues are all preventable and food businesses must ensure that they always adhere to a high standard of food safety and hygiene.

"It is imperative that every food business has a proper pest control system in place and that this is checked very regularly to avoid infestations of rodents and insects. With the busy Christmas period nearly upon us, food businesses must be especially vigilant to ensure compliance with the law and to protect the health of their customers.”

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