Limerick premises are cleared to reopen after closure due to concerns
TWO FOOD premises in Limerick city which were ordered to close due to health concerns, have been cleared to reopen.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has confirmed that Closure Orders which were served on the two premises, following separate inspections, earlier this month, have now been lifted.
In one case, a Closure Order was served on the proprietor of Achari café/restaurant at The Orchard Castletroy on November 8, following a HSE inspection.
The order, under the provisions of the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020, was subsequently lifted on November 21 after the matters of concern were rectified to the satisfaction of the HSE.
The specific reasons as to why the Closure Order was served have not yet been made public but are likely to be released by the FSAI next week.
In a separate case, Oscars takeaway at John Street close to the city centre was also ordered to close following an inspection that took place on November 17.
Again, that inspection was carried out by Environmental Health Officers from the HSE who later served a Closure Order on the company secretary under the provisions of the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020.
According to the FSAI, that order was lifted six days later on November 23.
The precise circumstances which led to the health concerns have not been publicly disclosed.
Figures from the FSAI, show that as of this Tuesday, six premises across the country were ordered to close during November - compared to four during all of October.
The other premises are located in Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny and Dublin and, according to the FSAI, five of the six Closure Orders have since been lifted.
Speaking earlier in November, Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, said all food businesses must ensure there is a strong food safety culture in place, including adequate training for all staff.
“This simply must be a top priority for food businesses. Consumers have a right to safe food, and there is a personal responsibility for managers and all employees to comply with food safety legal requirements at all times.
“Neglecting food safety demonstrates disregard for the well-being of customers and also potentially places their health at an unnecessary risk. There can be zero tolerance for negligent practices that put consumers’ health at risk, and the full powers of food law will be used if a food business is found to be in breach,” stated Dr Byrne.