The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served six enforcement orders on food businesses last month.
These were for breaches of food safety legislation.
The orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Three Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
- Kebabish Tandoori (Restaurant/Café), 39 Clanbrassil Street Lower, Wood Quay, Dublin 8
- Eurospar (Closed area: rear bakery preparation kitchen, bakery storage area and adjoining lobby), Main Street, Kinnegad, Co. Westmeath
- China City (Restaurant/Café), 17 Temple Street, Sligo
At China City, the FSAI said there was no adequate procedure to check the premises for evidence of rodents on a day-to-day basis.
There was a pest control contractor employed and reports indicate that visits hod been carried out.
But on the date of inspection, there was evidence of rodent infestation in the first floor store where chest freezers
used to store food and some foodstuffs - such as flour - were stored.
One Prohibition Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
- Halal Food and Grocery (Butcher Shop (Retailer)), Unit 6, Trinity Court, Fonthill Road, Dublin 22
Here, inspectors found that some vacuum packed meat was being opened, minced and re-vacuum packed on site.
They FSAI report said: "This minced lamb and minced beef were then labelled with the same 'use by' date as the original cuts of vacuum packed meat, giving the minced meat up to 26 days shelf life.
"The mincing process disrupts the meat cellular structure, increasing the surface area of the meat product and making the minced meat a nutritious medium supporting pathogenic bacterial growth."
And two Improvement Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
- Giovanni’s Takeaway, Rampark, Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co. Louth
- Milano’s (Restaurant/Café), 61 Bridge Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth
One prosecution was taken by the HSE in relation to:
- Camile Thai (Takeaway), Block 3, Unit 22, Village Green, Tallaght, Dublin 24
This was due to the restaurant’s failure to provide correct food allergen information for a customer.
The FSAI said: "This prosecution highlights the seriousness of providing accurate food allergen information and the importance of complying with the allergens legislation for public health, legal and reputational consequences for food businesses."
Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, stressed the importance of complying with food safety standards.
"In March, there continued to be a number of food businesses who failed to ensure proper food safety management systems were in place.
"Filthy premises, unhygienic practices and poor pest control are all totally unacceptable.
"There are also no excuses for food businesses failing to provide accurate written allergen information for their customers.
"A person should be able to trust that the allergen information they get from a food business is correct and it is up to the food business to ensure that they have the appropriate procedures in place to meet this requirement."
