Ten food businesses across Ireland forced to shut doors as mouse droppings and bad hygiene cited

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported that ten Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses across Ireland during the month of April for breaches of food safety legislation.

The Enforcement Orders, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020, were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Two Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998.

• Greenville Deli (Restaurant/Café), 45 Monkstown Avenue, Monkstown, Co. Dublin
• Sirmone Limited T/A Soul Bakery and TPB, Unit L5, Ballymount Industrial Estate, Dublin 12

Six Closure Orders were served during April under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.

• The City Arms Gastro Bar/ Bistro (Closed area: The food storage and preparation area: preparation, cooking and service of food) (Public House), 50 High Street, Waterford
• Tasty (Take Away), The Square Dromcollogher, Charleville, Limerick
• Namaste Indian Cuisine, 88/89 King Street North, Smithfield, Dublin 7
• Bojon Spices (all the activities of the business, establishments, holdings or other premises be ceased and the internet sites or social media sites it operates or employs be ceased) (Restaurant/Café), Summerhill Road, Dunboyne, Meath
• Barne Lodge (Restaurant/Café), Rathkeevan, Clonmel, Tipperary
• Rio Latte Bar (Restaurant/Café), Unit 7, Park Shopping Centre, Prussia Street, Dublin 7

The FSAI says Improvement Orders were also issued under the FSAI Act, 1998 on two premises.

• Sancta Maria Nursing Home, Parke, Kinnegad, Meath
• Sligo Spice (Retailer), McGlynns Terrace, 1 Lower Pearse Road, Sligo

Further details regarding each of the Enforcement Orders are available to view on the FSAI’s website.

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Confirming details of the Enforcement Orders issued during April, the FSAI has given examples of some of the breaches discovered.

These include: no documentation of pest control checks; multiple mouse droppings throughout the premises, including in a cupboard, under a sink and wash hand basin used for storing cleaning equipment; flies observed in the kitchen with no fly screen in place; failure by staff to demonstrate any knowledge of food safety management procedures; inadequate and uncalibrated equipment used to monitor temperatures; lack of evidence to support use-by dates on defrosted food; lack of cleaning and disinfection; no hot water or designated hand wash basin in the food preparation area; a heavily stained kitchen, with visible dirt and grease on cooking equipment and stainless steel surfaces; customer toilets and urinals that had not been cleaned; an outdoor sink unit positioned over an open drainage gully, posing a contamination risk.

Commenting on the figures, Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive of the FSAI, warned there is an obligation for food businesses to act responsibly and ensure the food they provide to their customers is safe to eat.

“Food businesses owe it to their customers that the food they are selling is safe to eat. Not only is it the right thing to do, it’s also a legal requirement under food law.

“Consumers have a right to trust that the food they buy is safe to eat and that it complies with all relevant food safety legislation. The findings that led to these Enforcement Orders highlight an unacceptable disregard for basic food safety and hygiene practices.

“These are preventable issues, and there are simply no excuses for failing to comply with the law. Food businesses must remain vigilant, ensuring regular checks, effective pest control, and thoroughly cleaned well-maintained premises to protect their customers’ health and uphold consumer trust in the food chain.”

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Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports section of the FSAI 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.