Live mice and dead rats found as seven food businesses ordered to close across Ireland

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that seven Closure Orders were served on food businesses during the month of March 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 Closure Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and by officers of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

Among the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in March were evidence of rodent infestation, dead rats in traps, live mice running around the warehouse of a business including the office, no hot water available for food handlers, drains completely blocked with foul wastewater along with failure by staff to demonstrate any knowledge of food safety management procedures.

Five Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• China Palace (Restaurant/Café), 11 Main Street, Roscommon
• Stela Foods (Wholesaler/Distributor), Unit 2, Greenhills Business Park, Drogheda, Louth
• Yomari Foods Ltd (Take Away), Main Street, Boyle, Roscommon
• Stela Food Stores (Wholesaler/Distributor), (Closed Area: Closure of Stela Food Stores building (excluding the three 40 foot fixed containers and one 40 foot container attached to mobile trailer outside the building), Unit 8, Ringwood Centre, Damastown Close, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15
• Republic of Grill (Take Away), Wickham Way Market, Wickham Street, Limerick

Two Closure Orders were also served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

• Eddie Rockets (Restaurant/Café), Point Village, East Wall Road, Dublin 1
• PY Fast Food Food Stall, Trading on Moore Street, Dublin 1

Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, stated that it is the legal requirement of all food businesses to ensure full and continuous compliance with food safety regulations.

“Enforcement Orders, particularly Closure Orders and Prohibition Orders, are only served where there is a serious and immediate risk to consumer health, or where there are persistent and significant breaches of food law, and not for minor infractions.

“In many of the Closure Orders issued this month, there was a clear absence of the most basic food safety procedures, alongside high levels of pest activity and poor hygiene standards.

“Staff working in food businesses must be trained and/or supervised, so that they can carry out their work in line with food safety requirements. It is essential that all food businesses implement and maintain a robust food safety management system to prevent such violations.

“There can be no excuse for putting consumers’ health at risk through negligent practices and failing to comply with the legal requirements. Food businesses have a legal responsibility to ensure the food they sell or serve is safe to eat,” concluded Mr Dempsey.

Read the full reports on each business Here

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