A dead rodent near the kitchen, a leak in the staff toilet flowing into the food storage and preparation area and flooding a nearby carpet were among the reasons food businesses were served with closure orders in February.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served nine closure orders and one prohibition order on food businesses during the month of February for breaches of food safety legislation.
The breaches were pursuant to the FSAI Act 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.
This included part of Cork Oriental Supermarket Ltd, at 13 Dalton’s Avenue in Cork, whose kitchen and kitchen storage area were closed on February 9th.
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According to the closure order, “rodent droppings were noted at wall to floor junctions in the kitchen and storage room connected to the kitchen” and “were noted on food containers in the storage room connected to the kitchen”.
“One dead rodent was found in the room connected to the kitchen,” the order also states.
Il Capo takeaway based on 62 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, was issued with a closure order on February 16th. The order was lifted on February 24th.
The order stated that “substantial rodent droppings were present throughout the premises where food is prepared and stored,” and that “a dead mouse was found in a trap underneath shelving used to store food and food contact equipment”.
It also said that “adequate procedures were not in place to prevent pests gaining entry to the food premises”.
On 27 Capel Street in Dublin 1, White Rabbit Catering Limited and Super Asia Food were served with closure orders on February 16th. They were lifted on the February 22nd.
The closure orders both stated that “an active rat infestation was noted in the food premises where food is prepared and stored, being evidenced by the presence of rodent droppings”.
Homesavers in Unit 4, Mile Height Retail Park, Tralee, Co Kerry, was ordered to “cease the sale, packaging and/or processing of all food products on the premises” on February 9th. This closure order was lifted on February 23rd.
Their closure order states that “an authorised officer was prevented/obstructed from carrying out an inspection in order to fully determine the nature and extent of a pest infestation and the extent of any contamination of foodstuffs, after establishing during the inspection the presence of rodent droppings on the premises”.
According to the order, “rodent droppings were evident under shelving in the shop floor area of the premises”.
East Oriental Take Out, Unit 5, Block C, Brabazon Hall, Ardee Street, Dublin 8 was served a closure order on February 16th.
Among the non-compliances listed at the time of inspection were the fridge unit being unclean “both internally and externally,” and the fact that the “cold room and shelving had a large build-up of food debris present and black mould present”.
It also stated that “a volume of food debris had accumulated on the floor near the ovens, the floor wall junctions and behind all pieces of equipment,” alongside other non-compliances.
Top Oil Gala’s food service area and deli in McKee Avenue in Finglas, Dublin 11, were served with a closure order on February 14th due to “a significant risk of cross contamination due to the condition of the staff toilet,” among other things.
The order stated that “there was a water leak flooding the staff toilet which was flowing into the food storage area and the food service/deli area,” and that staff had no access to toilet facilities on the premises.
It added that “flood water originating from a toilet is likely to be contaminated with potentially harmful pathogenic microorganisms”.
It also stated that “the staff toilet was in a filthy condition and a bin containing used tissues and personal hygiene products was overflowing”.
The carpet in the rear store adjacent to the staff toilet was “soaked with potentially contaminated water as a result of the leaking water in the staff toilet,” and was in “a filthy condition,” the order said.
The store were ordered to replace the carpet with a “hard, durable, non-absorbent and easy to clean” surface.
“The hot hold unit in the premises was not operating correctly due to a broken lamp. As a result, cooked foods were not held above 65 degrees,” and all food had to be destroyed.
There was also “no hot water available in the premises at all including at the wash-hand basins”.
On February 3rd, Dook’s Find Foods, The Cross, Fethard, Tipperary, was issued a closure order as it “did not put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures” based on the hazard analysis and critical control point principles.
The order said “adequate HACCP based procedures had not been put in place and implemented for the production of parsley mayonnaise, beetroot hummus, rocket pesto and chicken and chorizo bap”.
The results of microbiological analysis of official samples of these products “found unsatisfactory levels of Escherichia coli (E.coli)”.
The presence of E.coli in these products “indicates that faecal pathogens may also be present or that poor hygiene practices occurred during processing and/or post processing,” according to the closure order.
The Dook’s Fine Foods closure order was lifted on February 8th.
On St Mary’s Road in Edenderry, Co Offaly, Gianny’s takeaway was issued with an order to close on February 3rd because “food debris and black mould was observed on the under-counter refrigerated unit in which foods were stored”.
The order also stated that “the floor throughout the premises was greasy and unclean,” and that “flooring in the kitchen was particularly unclean with dirt and food debris noted especially at the edges of the walls, counters and underneath equipment and tables”.
The “walls and ceiling surfaces throughout the premises were observed to be unclean and covered in dust,” and “uncovered containers of food were observed being stored in an unclean refrigerated storage unit which could result in the contamination of food”.
There were a number of other issues stated in the closure order, which was lifted on February 8th.
A prohibition order was served on February 20th to Fish Seafood Deli Ltd of Unit 6/7, Carbery, Enterprise Park, Skibbereen, Co Cork, by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.
A number of products were withdrawn, including but not exclusive to “out-of-date finished products from the Fresh Seafoods Deli,” and 22 boxes of out-of-date hake.
Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, said maintaining a clean premises is essential and obligatory for every food business.
“Consumers must be able to trust that the food they are being served is safe to eat and it is unacceptable that some food businesses fail to fulfil this duty. Storage and food preparation areas must be properly cleaned and maintained to avoid potential contamination of food,” Dr Byrne said.
“It is also important that businesses have proper pest-control procedures in place and that they are regularly checking that there are no pests in their premises.”
On February 22nd in Monaghan District Court, Catherine Mullaney, Marcus John McCabe and Kamaceuticals Limited were convicted on two counts of obstructing authorised officers of the Health Service Executive, with total fines of €3,000.
The FSAI stated that this ruling sends a strong message to food businesses that obstructing an authorised officer will not be tolerated in any circumstances.