The number of closure orders issued to food businesses last month reached its highest level this year, new figures show.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said 21 closure orders were served during the month of April for breaches of food safety legislation.
Fifteen closure orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
- Ginger Lillies Chinese Restaurant, 18 Mulgrave Street, Limerick
- Medina Kebab (Lets Eat) (Take away), 329 Blarney Street, Cork
- Georgian Delight (service sector), Kitchen 3, 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1
- Sabor Nordestino (restaurant/café), 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1
- Spicy Bite (restaurant/café), Unit 1, Moore Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1
- Mroz (retailer), Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1
- Smaczne.Go! (restaurant/café), Moore Street Mall, 58/66 Parnell Street, North City, Dublin 1
- D Candy (retailer), Main Street, Roscommon
- Uptown Restaurant, Old Milk Market Lane, Killarney, Kerry
- Payless Grocery & Meat, 46 Port Road, Letterkenny, Donegal
- Bites By Kwanghi (restaurant/café), Capital Dock, 83 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2
- Fresh (restaurant/café), Capital Dock, 4-5 Stephens Walk, Dublin 2
- Musashi Noodles and Sushi (restaurant/café), 15 Capel Street, Dublin 1
- All Bar Chicken (Closed area: the kitchen and storage areas) (restaurant/café), 47 Nassau Street, Dublin 2
- Fortune Terrace (restaurant/café), 46-49 O’Connell Street Upper, Dublin 1
A further six closure orders was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:
- Chicking (restaurant/café), Unit 3, O’Boyce’s Corner, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
- Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel (Closed areas: the operations from Albert & Behan Kitchen, PJ’s Kitchen and Mapas Kitchen – the serving of beverages from the bar area is not affected by this closure order), Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, Co. Dublin
- Café Brazil (retailer), 63 Thomas Street, Dublin 8
- The Ballsy Baker (Closed activity: preparation production and sale of food product with the claim ‘Nut Free’ and ‘Gluten Free’, and internet sites or social media sites it operates promoting and advertising the sale of food with these claims) (retailer), 10 Saint Mochtas Lawn, Clonsilla, Dublin 15
- Oriental Pantry (retailer), 22-23 Moore Street, Dublin 1
- Pastel King (restaurant/café), 22-23 Moore Street, Dublin 1
One prosecution was also taken by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in relation to Kenmare Brewhouse Ltd, The Square, Kenmare, Co. Kerry.
An inspection of Ginger Lillies Chinese Restaurant in Limerick found "a grave and immediate danger" due to "a large number of rodent droppings" in several areas of the premises.
It also found a risk of contamination of foodstuffs and food contact surfaces with "harmful pathogens transmitted via the droppings and urine of rodents."
At Georgian Delight in Dublin 1 inspectors found "heavy pest activity in food preparation areas" as well as a "recently trapped live mouse" in the kitchen.
An inspection of Spicy Bite in Dublin 1 found "an ongoing cockroach infestation" in the premises as well as "multiple dead cockroaches in traps".
At D Candy on Main Street in Roscommon inspectors found inadequate procedures in place to control pests.
"There was evidence of a rodent infestation with rodents droppings observed in all four store rooms," it said.
'Altering Use By dates'
In Dublin 8, inspectors of Café Brazil said they found evidence that indicated "the routine practice of altering the Use By dates and batch numbers on food, as determined by the producer of such foodstuffs, with the intention to extend the shelf life of this food".
"Evidence found on the premises to support this assertion include a printing machine, a container of printed labels, acetone and cotton buds to remove the original Use By Dates beside foodstuffs with the labels removed," they said
"Evidence of false labels on food products were found on numerous products on the shop floor presented for sale on the shop floor," the report added.
'Alarming'
FSAI Chief Executive Dr Pamela Byrne said that the high number of closure orders is alarming.
"Twenty-one closure orders served in one month is the highest number since November 2019, when the same number were also issued.
"Amongst the reasons for the closure orders in April, a lack of adequate procedures to control pests was frequently cited.
"This resulted in evidence of widespread mice and cockroach activity, which leads to a serious risk of food being contaminated and poses a grave and immediate danger to public health.
"Food businesses must ensure that their food business is properly pest proofed, and that they take effective action if there is a pest infestation.
"Each month, we issue the list of Enforcement Orders as a deterrent, but it seems that last month, food safety fell off the list of priorities for quite a number of food businesses."
Dr Byrne added that consumers "have a right to safe food" and food safety must always be a top priority for food businesses.
