Live rats found at rear of Letterkenny food premises during inspection

A Donegal restaurant and cafe was issued with a closure order for breaches of food safety legislation.

According to the inspection report, “live rats were spotted in the rear yard area of the premises, and fresh droppings were sighted within the food business” at the Bamboo Foods Ltd (restaurant/café), Station Roundabout, Ramelton Road, Letterkenny.

A closure order was served on July 15, under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act. The order was lifted on July 27.

The order was served on Cindy Yee Look.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported that four Closure Orders and eight Prohibition Orders were served on food businesses in Ireland during the month of July for breaches of food safety legislation.

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website at www.fsai.ie

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The Enforcement Orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI has emphasised the importance of vigorous pest control systems, which should be facilitated across all food businesses in Ireland.

She also stressed that particular attention is required to ensure food is stored correctly and safely, especially during summer months when temperatures are usually higher.

“These Closure Orders demonstrate the importance of regular and consistent checks by businesses to ensure safe food practices are in place and adhered to in the interest of protecting consumer health. It is disappointing to see a number of these enforcement orders relating to the presence of rodents on the premises.

"Ensuring food is free of contamination includes putting robust pest control systems in place and also training/supervising staff appropriately. It must also be noted that summer is a particularly busy time of year for many food businesses, and it is critical that businesses have the necessary systems in place to account for both the increase in customers and temperatures. Food bacteria can multiply quickly in warm weather and food businesses must ensure food is stored correctly.”

Some of the reasons for the Closure Orders in July include: live rats spotted on the premises; rat droppings found near food storage and evidence of pests gnawing foodstuffs; a very poor standard of basic hygiene in the food preparation areas posing a risk of food contamination; food handlers inadequately trained and lacking knowledge on temperature control, pest control and cleaning; high-risk cooked foods were not temperature-controlled, with chicken found to have been stored at 23 degrees Celsius; and a lack of food safety monitoring leading to unsafe food being produced and sold.