TWO FOOD BUSINESSES in Dublin, one in Co Meath, and one in Roscommon were served closure enforcement orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in the last month. 

Dublin butchers Sausage Paradise in Ballaghaderreen was served a closure order, which the FSAI has not yet reported to have been lifted on 13 December, because an inspector found that there were no hand wash facilities for workers to use after handling raw meat, and that there was no food traceability or labelling on any pork products being sold. 

The inspector further found that the surfaces of its outdoor smokehouse were made of chipboard, which posed a food contamination risk, and that the smokehouse was not pest proof. 

A closure order was served to Padoca cafe on Capel Street, a Brazilian eatery, as an inspector found evidence of cockroaches in the food preparation area, which posed a risk to health. The order was lifted eight days later. 

Duck restaurant on Dublin’s Fade Street received a closure order, which the FSAI has not reported to have been lifted yet, as an inspector who visited the restaurant found that flies were observed on raw duck and equipment, and blood from raw duck was dripping on bags of rice, flour and sugar. 

They further found that cloths used to clean up bloody water were left on various surfaces throughout the kitchen. 

Floors, shelves, equipment and staff uniforms were also observed to have been contaminated with raw duck blood.

Staff were not, at the time of the inspection, being provided with soap to wash their hands after going to the toilet or handling raw meat. 

The Golden Phoenix Chinese Restaurant in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, was served a closure order that was in place for four days, as an inspector found that regular cleaning was not being carried out, and mould had grown within the food preparation area, including on food prep surfaces. 

The FSAI served 92 enforcement orders on food businesses in 2023 for breaches of food safety legislation, which represents a 19% increase from the 77 served in the year previous.

The watchdog has expressed disappointment in the increase, and has reminded food businesses to train staff appropriately to produce, serve and sell good in accordance with food safety legislation, and to ensure that premises are fully suitable for food production and storage. 

The enforcement actions taken last year included 76 closure orders, 3 improvement orders and 13 prohibition orders. 

A total of six prosecutions were also taken, led by environmental health officers in the HSE, local authority veterinary inspectors, sea-fisheries protection officers and FSAI officers. 

Inadequate food storage facilities and a lack of pest control procedures were issues that consistently arose with food businesses that had action taken against them. 

Dr Pamela Byrne, the Chief Executive of the FSAI said: “We should not be seeing such breaches of food law occurring in food businesses at all”. 

 “Enforcement Orders are served on food businesses only when a risk to consumer health has been identified, or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation.

“It is a legal obligation for food businesses to ensure that they are proactive in adhering to food safety regulations,” she added.