ELEVEN FOOD BUSINESSES were issued with closure orders from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in June – the highest number in any month so far this year. 

The orders were served for breaches of food safety legislation, namely the FSAI Act 1998 and European regulations.

The enforcement orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive.

Six closure orders were served under the FSAI Act 1998 on:

• Kenna’s Centra (Retailer – Other), 68 Fassaugh Avenue, Cabra, Dublin 7
• His Food (Restaurant/Café), Moore Street Mall, 58-66 Parnell Street, Dublin 1
• Steam, Asian Street Food (Restaurant/Café), Kitchen 4, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1
• Mroz (Retailer – Other), Moore Street Mall, 58-66 Parnell Street, Dublin 1
• Gorace Gary (Restaurant/Café), Moore Street Mall, 58-66 Parnell Street, Dublin 1
• Burger Bite (Take Away), Main Street, Foynes, Limerick

Four of the orders were issued to businesses in the Moore Street Mall in Dublin city centre. 

Cockroaches were seen in the kitchen and under vegetable storage at His Food, a restaurant. Cockroaches, a dead mouse at the kitence entrance, and rodent droppings were observed at Steam Asian Street Food. 

Evidence of a mouse infestation and a dead cockroach in a trap was found at Mroz supermarket. Cockroaches, flies near uncovered food, and mouse droppings were seen at Gorace Gary restaurant.

Numerous rat droppings were observed near the ice cream machine and surrounding area in Kenna’s Centra in Dublin 7. Black mould was found on a wall in Burger Bite in Limerick, as well as unhygienic customer toilets.

‘Grave and immediate danger to public health’ 

Under the FSAI Act 1998, a closure order is served where it is deemed that there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises; or where an improvement order is not complied with.

Closure orders can refer to the immediate closure of all or part of the food premises, or all or some of its activities. 

Five closure orders were served in June under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2010 on:

• Hamdan’s Kebab House (Restaurant/Café), The Square, Galbally, Limerick
• Le Fermier (Restaurant/Café), Haymarket, Carlow
• The Indian Castle Restaurant (Restaurant/Café), 21 Upper Castle Street, Tralee, Kerry
• Nuremore Hotel & Country Club (Closed area: main kitchen and function kitchen) (Service Sector – residential), Carrickmacross, Monaghan
• Golden Sea Restaurant (Restaurant/Café), Thomas Street, Castlebar, Mayo

Busy summer 

Speaking about today’s report, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI, said the high number of closure orders served on food businesses in June is “extremely disappointing”. 

Summer is a busy time of year for food businesses and systems must be put in place to cope with the increase in customers and at a time when outside temperatures can be a lot higher. Bacteria in food can multiply quickly in warm weather and food businesses must ensure that food is stored at correct temperatures.

“In June we saw a number of failures in pest control procedures resulting in a number of Closure Orders.

“These businesses are putting their customers at unnecessary risk of becoming sick through these poor hygiene practices and it will not be tolerated,” Byrne said. 

Full details of the closure orders and improvement orders issued by the FSAI in June can be read here.