FSAI serves 14 food safety orders
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today (14 July) reported that Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and officers in the Food Safety Authority (FSAI) served 13 Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order on food businesses during June for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.
Five Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020.
Eight Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998.
Five Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020.
One Prohibition Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998.
Among the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in June are: failure to notify the competent authority of the establishment of a food business; evidence of a pest infestation in food preparation areas, including live cockroaches, slugs, spiders and woodlice; evidence of rodent activity, including rodent droppings on shelving used to store food and on food packaging and food contact equipment; absence of suitable hand washing facilities; food not protected from the risk of contamination; absence of basic cleaning including chopping boards black with mould, cooking equipment congealed with heavy black grease and food debris; plastic wall sheeting placed around a premises including in the food rooms and the staff toilet to act as doorways; unsuitable layout and design of a premises preventing hygienic food preparation, with no designated food preparation areas; food stored at incorrect temperatures; lack of effective food traceability system in place; food worker wearing an unclean uniform that was heavily stained and covered in old food debris.
Commenting today, Mr Greg Dempsey, chief executive, FSAI, said: “It is unacceptable that we continue to see enforcement action being required due to basic and repeated breaches of food safety standards.
“Effective food safety management systems, proper hygiene practices, pest control and staff training are fundamental legal obligations of every food business.
“Consumers have a right to safe food, and it is the legal responsibility of food businesses to ensure that food is produced, handled and served safely.
“It is also concerning that we have found instances of unregistered food businesses operating illegally without notifying the competent authority, therefore bypassing essential food safety controls and putting consumers’ health at risk.
“Food law requires all food businesses to notify the relevant competent authority, irrespective of the size or type of food business.
“This requirement ensures that food businesses will be registered and/or approved with the appropriate inspection agency to ensure food safety and protect consumer health,” added Mr Dempsey.
Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website.
Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date on which a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.
