SIX FOOD BUSINESSES were ordered to close by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in April.

Five closure orders were served, under the FSAI Act 1998, to the following businesses:

• Food business being run in a house and garden at The Demesne, Dalgan, Shrule, Mayo (meat products)
• Bentleys Ltd, trading as The Kilford Arms Hotel (closed area: kitchen and food preparation area), John Street, Kilkenny
• Natural Green (foods of non-animal origin processing), Unit C, Stadium Business Centre, Stadium Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15
• The animal sheds occupied by Barry McConnon (slaughterhouse) (under appeal), Corcreaghy, Carrickmacross, Louth
• The building at the rear of the domestic dwelling occupied by Barry McConnon (cutting plant) (under appeal), Corcreaghy, Carrickmacross, Louth

One closure order was served, under the European Commission Official Control of Foodstuffs Regulations 2010, to:

• Keyaki Japanese Restaurant, 15 Merchants Square, Ennis, Clare

On 1 May, an FSAI Act closure order was issued to Golden Beach supermarket, 137 Parnell Street, Dublin 1. Details of this order and information on any further closure orders served this month will be released in June.

‘Filthy premises and rodent infestations’

Some of the reasons for the closure orders in April include:

• the operation of an illegal food business
• rodent droppings present on food packaging
• the presence of live rodents noted in a premises
• hair present on food packaging
• boiled rice being cooked and cooled on a table in a wash-up area
• no hand washing facilities available
• evidence of mould growth
• lack of food hygiene training

A number of business were also served with improvement orders and prohibition orders. More information on all the orders issued in April, and the reasons why, can be read here.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI, noted that it is a legal requirement for a food business to register with, and where required be approved by, the relevant competent authority.

“All food businesses must be registered. If it is a food business handling and/or processing foods of animal origin, it is illegal to operate without approval by the relevant authority before commencing trade.

Working in partnership with the food safety inspectors, we have zero tolerance for those not operating legally.

“It is a legal requirement for all food businesses to have their premises kept clean and pest-proofed. However, each month inspectors are finding recurring incidents of filthy premises and rodent infestations.

“Each individual food business must take responsibility and commit to ensuring high food safety standards and compliance with the law,” Byrne said.