THE FOOD SAFETY Authority of Ireland has revealed that seven food businesses were hit with closure orders last month.

Four closure orders were served under the FSAI Act, while three were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations.

All of the closure orders have since been lifted. 

Closures made under the FSAI Act included:

• Long Thanh, 14 North Strand Road, Dublin 3
• Saint Ita’s Hospital (Seascapes Restaurant only to be closed), Portrane Road, Portrane, Co. Dublin
• O’Riordan’s Bar (two dry goods/cold storerooms off bar to be closed), Main Street, Coachford, Cork
• New Century (take away), 6 Prospect Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 9

At Long Thanh, a blocked drain was observed where “foul water was stagnating”.

The inspector added that “foul odours were emanating from the drain and accumulations of flies were also noted coming from the drain”.

The floors and sinks were also described as “extremely dirty” and black mould was observed on chopping boards.

The inspector added that there was “no evidence of staff awareness regarding basic food hygiene”.

In Seascapes Restaurant in Saint Ita’s Hospital, a “rodent was caught in a trap located beneath the servery counter in the restaurant”.

Rodent dropping were also present beneath this counter.

In O’Riordan’s Bar, a live mouse was observed in a mixed use storeroom, while mouse droppings were deemed to be “widespread” and were found in an empty pasta bag.

Elsewhere, FSAI inspectors in New Century found “no evidence of handwashing by staff” while the “sink was very dirty with food remnants blocking the drain”.

There was also evidence of cross-contamination, with a “container of cooked chickens left sitting on a dirty sink where pools of blood were also noted”.

The inspector added that the “premises throughout were in a very dirty condition” and that “all of the touch surfaces were dirty and greasy to touch”.

Meanwhile, three closures were made under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, including:

• Maneki (restaurant/café), 43 Dawson Street, Dublin 2
• KFC, 16 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2
• Kebabish (take away), Main Street, Bruree, Limerick

In Maneki, the FSAI inspector noted that food was thawing at “unsafe temperatures”.
They said tuna fish that was to be consumed raw was left to thaw at room temperature overnight.

The inspector added: “When I probed the fish when it was put back into the fridge, it was at 17 degrees Celsius.

“This practice encourages the growth of food-poisoning bacteria and histamine production. This is a recurring non-compliance.”

There was also evidence of food surfaces not being effectively cleaned or disinfected and a chef was observed not washing his hands properly after handling raw beef and chicken.

In the Westmoreland Street KFC, “dead rodent carcasses were found in the suspended ceiling of the ground floor and in the basement”.

A large number of old droppings were also observed throughout the premises.

While in Kebabish, a number of flies were present in the food storage and preparation areas, cobwebs and dead insects were noted in the hard-to-reach areas of the dry goods stores, and food spills of flour and oil had not been removed.

Commenting on the closure orders, chief executive of the FSAI Dr Pamela Byrne said that food businesses must take care to prepare, store and defrost foods at appropriate temperatures.

“All food businesses must adhere to mandatory food legislation, regardless of how long established they may be,” said Byrne.

“A failure to do so can pose a grave and immediate risk to public health. By following best practices for food safety and hygiene, food businesses can produce safe food.

“Also, consumers can rest assured that enforcement measures will be applied to food businesses that do not meet their legal obligations,” added Byrne.