An active cockroach infestation was found in the motor of a food preparation fridge during an inspection of an Indian restaurant in Dublin’s north inner city last month.
A closure order was served on Dera on Parnell Street by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in June, as well as on Giovanni's takeaway in Dundalk, Co Louth for a different issue. Both orders have since been lifted.
Cockroaches were found in traps in and behind the food preparation fridge in the kitchen of Dera.
“Live and dead cockroaches were noted on the floor beneath the food preparation fridge,” the inspection report says.
“The above conditions lead to a serious risk of food being contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, likely to render the food unfit for humans.”
Meanwhile, Giovanni’s was issued with an improvement order last October in relation to training for staff handling food, cleaning and sanitation, cooling and personal hygiene standards, which had not been complied with within the timeframe specified.
“Food handlers did not maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness by frequently and effectively washing hands, in particular after activities which could lead to a risk of contamination of the foodstuffs,” the order stated.
Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI emphasised the need for food businesses to have "adequate pest control systems and robust food hygiene practices in place", particularly as establishments begin to reopen following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
“Many food businesses are reopening to customers having been closed for a number of months. Food business owners need to ensure that there hasn’t been any pest activity in or around their premises,” Dr Byrne said.
“Now is the time to carry out a deep clean of a food business to ensure that all food contact surfaces and utensils are clean and safe for use.
“It is a legal requirement for all staff working in food businesses to be supervised and/or trained in food safety and hygiene. It is not acceptable that last month’s closure orders showed that a number of food workers at these food businesses did not have even a basic knowledge or training in food safety and hygiene.”
