A closure order was served on a bakery in Navan, Co Meath, after an “active mouse infestation” was discovered on the premises.
Ruby’s Cakes, located at Durhamstown Castle, was served with the order on December 11th, which was then lifted four days later, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The inspection report, published by the FSAI on Tuesday, said adequate procedures were not in place to control pests at the time.
“There was an active mouse infestation in the premises, as evidenced by the presence of numerous mouse droppings on food storage and floor surfaces,” it said.
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The report also said the premises was not “pest-proof”, and gaps were evident at a wall floor junction where droppings were found.
“Food, food contact materials and food surfaces were not protected against potential rodent contact,” it added.
Eight closure orders and one prohibition order were served on food businesses in December. A total of 127 enforcement orders were served on businesses for breaches of food safety legislation last year, a 4.5 per cent decrease on the 132 issued the previous year.
Last year’s total included 102 closure orders, 23 prohibition orders and two improvement orders.
Among those also served with a closure order last month was Sasaki Sushi in Stonybatter, Dublin 7. The order was issued on December 8th and has not been lifted, according to the FSAI.
The inspection report said there was “no evidence” of regular and routine cleaning being conducted throughout the premises.
“All surfaces and touch surfaces within the premises were unclean, including equipment and shelving units,” it said.
“There was original plastic coating left on some equipment that had evidence of ... an accumulation of grease and grime.”
The report also said there was no means to suitably clean, disinfect and store cleaning equipment after use.
“There were used dirty mops left in a dirty bucket, with evidence of a film of grease and grime on the mop bucket stored in the kitchen between the single sink unit and the cooker hob,” it added.
“Cooking equipment from the previous day had not been cleaned after use and left ready for use the following day.”
Greg Dempsey, chief executive of the FSAI, said that, while the total number of enforcement orders decreased year-on-year, it was disappointing to continue to see action being necessary due to “pest infestations, poor hygiene, unsafe storage of food, inadequate staff training and the absence of food safety management systems”.
“Additionally, we have found instances of unregistered food businesses operating illegally without notifying the competent authority, therefore bypassing essential food safety controls and putting consumers health at risk,” he said.
