FOUR FOOD BUSINESSES were hit with closure orders last month, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Two closure orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
The partial closure order for Good Coffee Matters Food Stall in Roscrea closed the derelict building adjacent to the food stall that was being used for storage of food and toilet facilities.
It noted that the derelict building had no running water and the toilets could not be flushed.
“There is a grave and immediate risk of staff contaminating food following use of these facilities,” the FSAI inspector noted.
The building was also found to be in an “extremely dirty condition, evidenced by filth, grime and general waste throughout”.
It was also not pest proof and a dead bird was found in the premises.
The partial closure order for Johnny’s Grub Hub in Tramore closed the food preparation and cooking shed adjacent to the food stall.
The inspector noted that the walls, ceiling and floor in the shed were untreated wooden surfaces. It added that cobwebs were noted on the ceiling and “a layer of dirt” was on the floor.
The shed had no wash hand basins with hot and cold water so adequate hand washing could not be implemented.
There were also not adequate facilities for the cleaning, disinfecting and storage of utensils and equipment.
Two other closure orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:
The FSAI ordered Hempture and Hempland, including all its internet sites and social media pages, to cease placing food on the market.
It noted that there was no evidence that the operator had identified the potential food safety hazards associated with placing Cannabidiol (CBD) oils produced by (Carbon dioxide) CO2 extraction and CBD isolate on the market.
There were also no procedures to verify the effective operation of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) based food safety management procedures.
The business also contravened legislation around traceability and placing unsafe and unauthorised food on the market.
Today, the FSAI obtained a temporary High Court order compelling Alan Donohoe, trading as ‘Hempture and Hempland’, to cease selling food products immediately.
In the injunction the FSAI claims the company has failed to comply with the closure order it obtained against it in early August.
J2 Sushi & Bento in Swords was ordered to stop preparing and selling sushi and sashimi. The order for this restaurant was served on 24 August and lifted a week later on 31 August.
The inspector found that there were no controls in place to control the risk associated with the storage, preparation and offering for sale of sushi and sashimi.
One prohibition order was also issued by the FSAI last month. The order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
Heaney Meats was ordered to withdraw 40 specified meat products including beef, pork, chicken and lamb.
The order noted that the date of freezing could not be established for the majority of the products and the use-by date could not be established.
The order was served on 18 August and lifted on 24 August.
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, warned today that there is a legal responsibility for food businesses to act responsibly and ensure food they provide to customers is safe to eat.
“There is no excuse for behaviour which has the potential to put consumers’ health at risk. We are once again appealing to all food businesses to ensure they are fully compliant with food safety procedures and hygiene legislation.
“Consumers have a right to safe food and in turn, food businesses have a legal requirement to ensure they provide is safe to eat. All food business owners must ensure that their business is complying with food law at all times,” said Dr Byrne.
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