Ashbourne takeaway among 15 Irish food businesses hit with closure orders

FIFTEEN Irish food services were served with closure orders due to breaches of food safety legislation during the month of July, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), including The Dragon Inn in Ashbourne.

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

·         Shannon Heritage at Bunratty Folk Park, trading as Bakery, Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, Bunratty, Clare

·         Neree Mbala (retailer), 10a Base Enterprise Centre, Damastown Road, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15 (post Improvement Order)

·         Supervalu (Closed area: loose/open food areas – deli, fish counter, butchery counter, bakery, salad bar, shop floor hot counter, fruit & veg), Walkinstown Road, Dublin 12

·         Roberto’s (Closed area: food storage and potato peeling area at the rear of the premises) (takeaway), 12 Ranelagh, Dublin 6

Nine Closure Orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:

          Ricky’s Fast Food and Indian Takeaway, 1 Abbey Street, Roscrea, Tipperary

·         Declan Lavers (wholesaler/distributor), Dromleena, Dunmanway, Cork

·         Alchemy by the Lough (restaurant), 1B Valentine Villas, The Lough Road, Cork

·         Dragon Inn (takeaway), Unit 4, Ashbourne Town Centre, Ashbourne, Meath

·         Glanworth Takeaway, Main Street, Glanworth, Cork

·         Grace’s Garden (restaurant), Main Street, Shankill, Co. Dublin

·         Clarkes (butcher shop), 24 Fassaugh Avenue, Cabra, Dublin 7

·         Anu’s Kitchen (restaurant), Unit 3 Glen Abbey Complex, Belgard Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24

·         Totu Douglas (Closed area: raw meat butcher counter and deli counter area) (retailer), 2 Church Road, Douglas West, Douglas, Cork

One Prohibition Order was served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:

·         Michael Walsh and Sons Butcher Shop, The Square, Athenry, Galway

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

·         Bruree Hut (restaurant), Main Street, Bruree, Limerick

In recent months, there were two prosecutions taken by the Health Service Executive in relation to:

·         Inishowen Frozen Foods (standalone temperature controlled storage), Culkeeny, Malin, Donegal

·         The Loft Bar (public house), Ballyconnell Road, Falcarragh, Donegal

Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in July include: A live rat seen in the rear storage area; a foul smell in the potato chipping room; storage area not being properly pest-proofed; rodent droppings on food shelf; evidence of rodent activity in shop floor area; no facilities, equipment, or chemicals provided for cleaning purposes; staff toilet out of service for over a month; lack of basic knowledge of food safety management; evidence of an active mouse infestation; a significant number of mouse droppings observed on shelving and baking equipment; lack of allergen information; the presence of many flies in the premises particularly in the raw meat and deli counter areas; the kitchen and associated areas in a filthy condition; and no running hot water available at sinks.

Commenting, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI said the onus is on food businesses to ensure they protect the health of their customers by always strictly following food safety legislative requirements.

“It is somewhat alarming that 15 Enforcement Orders were required to be served on food businesses in the month of July. The legal responsibility for producing food that is safe to eat rests firmly with food businesses. The inspections found that a number of food workers at these businesses did not have even a basic knowledge or training in food safety and hygiene, which is a legal requirement. There is absolutely no excuse for careless practices.  Staff must be properly trained in food safety and hygiene and it is also imperative that an effective pest control system is in place.”

“Also we cannot stress enough the need to ensure fridge temperatures are monitored frequently every day and that special care is taken during the summer months with the warmer temperature outside.  All food must be stored at appropriate temperatures, or else there are significant risks of consumers becoming ill. The FSAI is here to provide advice if food businesses are unsure of what is required of them by law.  They can contact the FSAI Advice Line at info@fsai.ie or visit its website, www.fsai.ie“, Dr Byrne concluded. 

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website at www.fsai.ie.  Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.