Three Irish food businesses have been ordered to close after inspectors found they posed a grave danger to consumer health.
Releasing its figures for last month, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) expressed disappointment that 16 businesses have been closed so far this year because of breaches in food safety legislation.
Three closure orders and three prohibition orders were served in July for breaches under the FSAI Act 1998.
Dr John O'Brien, chief executive of the FSAI
In Cork, environmental health officers shut down Dao Ning House, Main Street, Charleville. In Dublin, a closure order was served on Oceanic, 12 Moore Street, (rear packaging area only).
Environmental health officers also served both a closure order and a prohibition order on Five Star Kitchen, 3 Terenure Road North, Dublin 6.
A further two Prohibition Orders were served by EHOs in the HSE Southern Region on Sarl Bleu Kiwi Food Stall, Frank Cassin Wharf, Waterford City, and on Adam Green of Killowen Orchard, Killowen, Portlaw, Waterford, the FSAI said.
Dr John O'Brien, chief executive of the FSAI, said that during the summer months, with increased temperatures, food businesses need to be particularly vigilant of ensuring best hygiene practices.
"It is disappointing that a total of 16 Irish food businesses have been closed to date this year due to breaches in food safety legislation.
"This action is taken when there is, or is likely to be, a grave and immediate danger to consumer health from unsafe food practices at a particular food premises. The message is clear; standards must not be permitted to slip to such a low level that consumers are put at risk. A food safety management plan is not difficult to implement and it is a serious cause for concern that the same easily preventable faults are continuing to contribute to the number of closures each month," he said.