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Dublin shop closed after dead rat found under deli counter

10 food businesses were ordered to partially or fully close last month.

TEN FOOD BUSINESSES were ordered to partially or fully close after being found in breach of food safety legislation in September. 

According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, reasons for the closures included rodent activity, a decomposing mouse and poor hygiene standards. 

The closure orders were served on: 

  • Londis (Retailer), 49 Grafton Street, Dublin 2

The shop was closed for one day after a dead rat was found in a trap underneath the delicatessen counter during an FSAI inspection last month. 

“The presence of rats in a food business can pose a risk to public health by the threat of infectious diseases,” the report states. 

Suspected rodent access points into the food business were also found along with suspected contamination of the food premises.

The order was issued under the FSAI Act 1998 on 18 September and subsequently lifted on 19 September.

The full text of the order can be seen here.

  • Pastel King, 22/23 Moore Street, Dublin 1

The restaurant was closed for three days after food safety inspectors found there was “evidence of mice activity”. 

During the inspection on 30 September, an inspector found mouse droppings throughout the premises.

Droppings were found in between the fridges, under the sink, at the side of the dishwasher “close to open food”. 

“Hygiene throughout the premises was extremely poor, offering possible harbourage and sustenance to pests, for example,” the inspection report states. 

The order was issued under the FSAI Act 1998 on 30 September and subsequently lifted on 2 October. 

The full text of the order can be seen here.

  • Oriental Pantry Supermarket, 22/23 Moore Street, Dublin 

The supermarket was closed for three days after a visit from food safety inspectors on 30 September.  

Inspectors found that the retailer had not taken sufficient action to control pests with mouse droppings found throughout the premise.

Droppings were found underneath shelving in the delivery area, underneath the butcher counter, behind a compost bin in the fish area and “extensively” underneath shelving on the shop floor.

The report added that a “decomposing mouse” was found behind the rice area on the shop floor.  

The order was issued under the FSAI Act 1998 on 30 September and subsequently lifted on 2 October.

The full text of the order can be seen here.

  • Taste Of India,  39 Main Street Lower, Letterkenny, Donegal

The takeaway was closed after FSAI inspectors found the kitchen was “dirty throughout” and there was no evidence of safe practices of thawing foods.

“Doner kebab meat was reading a temperature of 21.7 degrees, there was no evidence of safe practices of cooking doner kebabs,” the report states. 

Mould and dirt were also found on the seals of the chill display unit close to the cooker. 

The order was issued under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2010 on 26 September and subsequently lifted on 2 October.

The full text of the order can be seen here.

  • Noor Foods (Butcher Shop), 10 Church Street, Dundalk, Louth

The business was forced to close after an inspection found a “grave and immediate danger” due to failure to comply with regulations. 

Rodent activity was found throughout the premises, including food storage and handling areas.

“Posing a risk of contamination to food, food preparation surfaces, equipment and utensils. Rodents transmit pathogens through faeces and urine which may lead to a serious risk to public health,” the inspection report states. 

The order was issued under the FSAI Act 1998 on 19 September and subsequently lifted on 27 September.

The full text of the order can be seen here.

  • Stela Food Stores (Retailer), Unit 8, Ringwood Centre, Damastown Close, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15

The retailer was forced to close after an inspection found that adequate procedures were not in place to control pests. 

Rodents’ droppings were evident throughout the first-floor food storage area, the ground floor food storage area, underneath equipment and the wash sink in the ground floor meat cutting room.

The order was issued under the FSAI Act 1998 on 18 September and subsequently lifted on 23 September.

The full text of the order can be seen here.

  • Tsangs Restaurant, Littlepace Shopping Centre, Clonee, Dublin 15 

The takeaway was ordered to close on 18 September after the premises was found to be in a dirty condition throughout. 

The inspection report notes that the fan unit and the area around it were “encrusted with dirt”.

Equipment was also found to be dirty. The grooves and holes in the butcher block were encrusted with old food debris while touchpoints, such as handles, switches and taps, were greasy and dirty. 

The order was issued under the EC Regulations 2010 on 18 September and subsequently lifted on 25 September.

The full text of the order can be seen here

  • Lal Quila (Restaurant/ Café), Douglas Village, Douglas, Cork

During an inspection on 11 September,  there was evidence of significant non-compliance. 

Inspectors found issues with food storage and monitoring, cleaning and sanitation, prevention of contamination. 

The report found that access to the wash hand basin near the wash-up area was obstructed due to the accumulation of equipment. 

There was a number of internal and external pest entry points identified by the pest controller during his visit on 30 August which had been sealed using expanding foam.

The report noted that the expanding foam finish is unsuitable as rodents can chew through the material and gain access.

During the inspection, mouse droppings were also found in the staff changing area upstairs. 

The order was issued under the EC Regulations 2010 on 13 September and subsequently lifted on 20 September.

The full text of the order can be seen here

  • East Oriental (Take Away), Unit 5, Brabazon Hall, Ardee Street, Dublin 8

The takeaway was issued with a closure order after inspectors found the standard of cleaning was very poor and had not improved on the previous inspection. 

The floors, walls and drainage pipes under and behind the kitchen units were dirty and in need of deep cleaning. Food debris and dirt were getting caught underneath pipework and this was not being removed through cleaning.

Block mould had built up on the door seal of the fridge units which were unclean both internally and externally. The cold room was also not clean with mildew noted on the ceiling. 

The order was issued under the EC Regulations 2010 on 6 September and subsequently lifted on 16 September.

The full text of the order can be seen here

  • Jesels Ltd,  Unit 3a, Dunshaughlin Business Park, Dublin Road, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath

The business was issued with a closure order after an inspection found significant non-compliance with food safety legislation. 

The report notes that sweets containing the allergen gluten were placed on the market without indicating its presence.

Also on the day of inspection, sweets had been decanted into smaller packets. The original packaging stated that the allergen gluten was present. There was no declaration of the allergen gluten on the decanted package. The inaccurate labelling of foodstuffs by
your food business is a significant non-compliance of food safety legislation.

Inspectors added that it also poses or is likely to pose an unacceptable risk to consumer safety as illness may be caused to consumers with particular sensitivities/allergies.

A lack of traceability and accurate labelling information was also recorded. 

The order was issued under the EC Regulations 2010 on 20 September and subsequently lifted on 23 September.

The full text of the order can be seen here

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