Twelve food businesses, including five takeaways and the kitchen of a pre-school in Dublin were closed last month over breaches of food safety legislation.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published the May closure orders served by HSE environmental health officers on Tuesday.
Such orders are served where it is deemed that there is, or there is likely to be, a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises.
Six closure orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
Syrian Foods (food stall), 14 Creagh Woods, Gorey, Wexford;
Mr Simms Old Sweet Shoppe, 59 Dame Street, Dublin 2;
Centra, 9 William Street, Limerick;
Lal Quila restaurant, Tramway Terrace, Douglas Village, Douglas, Cork;
Chens Chinese Take Away, Parnell Street, Mountmellick, Laois;
China Kitchen (restaurant), Market Place, Clonmel, Tipperary.
Separately, six closure orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
‘Paddy Jack’ food stall (in relation to the cooking of raw meat), Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2;
Kashmir Kebab House (take away), 15 Davis Street, Limerick;
New Curry House (takeaway), 62 Newcastle Road Lower, Galway;
The Nest pre-school (use of the main kitchen at the rear of the premises), Block C, Brabazon Hall, Ardee Street, Dublin 8;
Caoch O’Leary public house, Ballacolla, Laois;
El Grito restaurant (for preparation of raw kebabs), 3 Merchants Arch, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.
All but four of the closure orders were lifted by the end of May. Full details of the orders and those that remain in place are available on fsai.ie
During the month, a successful prosecution was also carried out by the HSE on Little Acorns Country Bakery, Cortown Road, Fordstown, Navan, Co Meath.
FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said food businesses needed to be extra vigilant during the warmer weather.
“It is particularly important during the summer months that all food businesses adhere to the strictest food safety measures,” she said.
“A rise in temperature during warm weather increases the potential for the bugs to multiply which can cause food poisoning.
“It is vital that food is chilled and stored at the correct temperature in line with best food safety practices.”
The FSAI advised all food businesses to ensure they were prepared for the increase in temperature and that all staff were trained to ensure that best food safety procedures were understood and applied.