Ten food businesses were served with closure orders during the month of March for breaches of food safety legislation and European Commission regulations.
Three closure orders were served under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act on:
- The Millrace Hotel (a partial closure order was served on all food preparation and service activities in and from the kitchen and ancillary stores and in the main bar and the store room at the rear of the main bar), Carrigduff, Bunclody, Wexford.
- Milebush Bar and Restaurant (also a partial order, served on preparation and service of food only), Fairgreen, Mountmellick Road, Portlaoise, Laois.
- Fryer’s (take-away), Patrick Street, Boyle, Roscommon.
Under the FSAI Act, a closure order is served where it is deemed there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises; or where an improvement order is not complied with.
A manager at the Millrace Hotel said: “The Millrace Hotel was not closed, however our food and beverage service was closed for a short period. We are delighted to say it’s business as usual as and from April, 2nd.”
Seven Closure Orders were served under the Commission regulations on:
- Posh Nosh (restaurant), Unit 4, Castlemill SC, Hamlet Lane, Balbriggan, Dublin.
- Craigs Fresh (wholesale), Drumnabratty, Raphoe, Donegal.
- Carpenters Butchers (a partial closure order, served on the cooking and handling of cooked chickens in the premises), Farrell Street, Kells, Meath.
- Tamarind Thai Restaurant, Unit 3, 4 andr 5 Carraig House, Matt Talbot Road, Tralee, Kerry.
- Indie at Home (take away), Unit 3, North Street Business Park, Swords, Co. Dublin.
- La Boulangerie des Gourmets (bakery), Unit 42, North Park, North Road, Finglas, Dublin 11.
-Beachview Tandoori (take away), Strand Road, Laytown, Meath.
Under the EC regulations, closure orders are served where there is a non-compliance with food legislation.
When contacted, a member of staff at Carpenters Butchers said cooked chickens are no longer handled on the premises and the business is trading as normal.
Attemps to contact management at the other food businesses listed by the FSAI were unsuccessful. After a closure order is served it is up to the business to rectify the problem and then contact the HSE. An inspector is sent out who will decide whether the business can re-open. In some cases, businesses sort out the problem in as short as a day.
One prohibition order was served under the Commission regulations on Ahmed Foods (wholesale), 114-115 Millennium Business Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
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.
The HSE carried out one successful prosecution during March on Kearney's Castle Hotel, 18 Main Street, Cashel, Tipperary.
FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said food businesses needed to be vigilant at all times to ensure full compliance with food legislation.
“Food safety is of paramount importance. Unfortunately, inspectors continue to encounter negligent food safety practices and non-compliance with food legislation.
“There can be no justification for these breaches, which can potentially put consumers’ health at risk and undermine the confidence they should expect to have in the safety of the food they eat.
“This has serious negative implications not only for the individual businesses involved, but for the wider food industry.”
