Starbucks outlet gets temporary food safety closure order

A Starbucks outlet was among ten food businesses to receive temporary closure orders during September from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The agency ordered the outlet at 21 Great Georges Street in Waterford to close its doors on September 27th. It remained shut for more than a week, reopening on October 5th.

The FSAI declines to give details of why closure orders are served on any outlet, but its chief executive, Dr Pamela Byrne, said they are only issued for serious risks or regular breaches of hygiene regulations.

“Enforcement orders and most especially closure orders and prohibition orders are never served for minor food safety breaches,” she said.

“They are served on food businesses only when a serious risk to consumer health has been identified or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation and that largely tends to relate to a grave hygiene or operational issue.”

A spokeswoman for Entertainment Enterprises Group, which operates the Starbucks chain in Ireland, said the Waterford closure was a result of contaminated water flowing into the shop.

“The problem was with the main drainage pipes,” she said.

“There was a rupture of the main pipe in the middle of the road outside our store. Water then seeped under the road and pavement into our basement.

“The pipes were repaired and the store is restored to its proper condition. The store reopened yesterday afternoon.”

Also to receive a closure order in the latest round of FSAI actions was Fernhill Golf and Country Club in Co Cork. The closed area referred to a restaurant and associated kitchen facilities within the club, Fernhill, Carrigaline, Cork.

In Dublin 7 , Akanchawa’s Honey Pot restaurant/café, on Mountjoy street also had to close temporarily.

There were four Roscommon eateries on the list; Big Bites Take Away, Castle Street, Roscommon, Hannons’ Oakwood Hotel Roscommon - the closed area referred to the kitchen and all food service), Athlone Road, Roscommon, Ruby King restaurant/café, Unit 5, West Business Park, Circular Road, Roscommon and Get Fresh Catering restaurant/canteen, Castlerea Community School, Castlerea, Roscommon

Other businesses served with orders were:

* Ashford Oriental restaurant/café, Main Street, Ashford, Wicklow

* Hairy Neds Pub and Shop, closed activity related to a shop deli and all food preparation areas, Crosskeys, Cavan

* Fitto Café restaurant/café, 12/13 Catherine Street, Limerick

Two enforcement orders relating to improvements were served on:

* J2 Sushi and Bento restaurant/canteen, 5 Market Square, Navan, Meath

*Asian and Arabic Food Market, a grocery, 3 Parnell Street, Limerick

An improvement order may be issued if an improvement notice is not complied with within a defined period. Further non-compliance can result in a Closure Order also being served.

One Prohibition Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

*Arcross Foods cold store, Blackrock, Louth.

A Prohibition Order is issued if the activities (handling, processing, disposal, manufacturing, storage, distribution or selling food) involve or are likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product, class, batch or item of food. The effect is to prohibit the sale of the product, either temporarily or permanently.

(Additional reporting PA)