FSAI issues 16 enforcement orders to food businesses in July
Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) reported that 16 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses during the month of July 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. The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Three Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 and nine Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations.
One Prohibition Order was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.
Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in July include: evidence of ongoing cockroach activity, which led to the serving of six Closure Orders on food businesses at one location; live cockroaches found in equipment and on traps in the kitchen area; multiple holes and gaps in the walls along with rodent droppings; a rodent carcass in a snap trap; failure to implement adequate pest control measures; failure to implement an appropriate food safety culture; food with either expired, missing or altered use-by dates; food not thawed safely; food items stored at unsafe temperatures; inadequate regular and thorough cleaning throughout the premises; equipment like meat slicers congealed with fat and stale food debris; continuous failure to maintain consistent cleaning standards; filthy cleaning equipment and cleaning cloths.
Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive, FSAI, said: “Filthy premises, unsafe food storage and inadequate pest control measures are once again the primary reasons for this month’s Enforcement Orders. These violations demonstrate a total disregard for food safety requirements and highlight the ongoing failure of some food businesses to maintain basic, consistent cleaning practices, and this failure poses a significant risk to public health.
“Food businesses have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of the food they produce, distribute or sell by maintaining proper storage temperatures, ensuring staff are properly trained, having stringent hygiene practices and ensuring their food businesses are fully pest proofed. Achieving a strong food safety culture requires continuous and consistent training for all team members”.
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 of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month from the date the Order was lifted.
