Business Closures in Relation to Food Safety Violations

9 July 2019

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported that 11 Closure Orders were served on food businesses during the month of June for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010.

The Enforcement Orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).

In terms of why the Enforcement Orders in June were issued to the various locations, some of the reasons included: a dead mouse that was found next to a fridge at the entrance to a kitchen, rodent droppings found under a sink in a kitchen, and evidence of a cockroach infestation.

Elsewhere, some establishments had rodent droppings behind an ice cream machine, live cockroaches in the kitchen shelving areas, and flies present throughout a premises.

Six Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998

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

Speaking about the latest Enforcement Orders that were issued, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI, has emphasised the need for food businesses to have adequate pest control systems in place, particularly as the weather gets hotter in the summer months.

“It is extremely disappointing to find that June is the highest month so far this year for Closer Orders served on food businesses. The majority of food businesses in Ireland must be commended for adhering to the highest of food safety standards, but there continues to be a number of food businesses disregarding important food safety standards,” she said.

Dr Byrne adds: “Summer is a busy time of year for food businesses and systems must be put in place to cope with the increase in customers and at a time when outside temperatures can be a lot higher. Bacteria in food can multiply quickly in warm weather and food businesses must ensure that food is stored at correct temperatures. In June we saw a number of failures in pest control procedures resulting in a number of Closure Orders. These businesses are putting their customers at unnecessary risk of becoming sick through these poor hygiene practices and it will not be tolerated.”

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website.

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.

Source : www.fsai.ie