Restaurant closures up 30% in food safety sweep

THE number of restaurants, supermarkets and takeaways served with closure orders by the country’s food safety watchdog jumped by 30% in the first six months of this year.

Three food retailers were served with closure orders last month, bringing the total for the half year to 24, compared with 18 last year, according to figures just released by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

Environmental health officers serve closure orders when they believe there is a serious and immediate danger to public health.

The FSAI director of service contracts, Peter Whelan, said the increase was worrying.

“We expect compliance all the time because it is the minimum legal standard. Most people involved in the food industry are considered to be in the honours’ list because they go way beyond what is required,” he said.

“There are now 43,000 food outlets in the country and only around 320 environmental health officers to police them.”

Hotels, restaurants, takeaways and delicatessens were considered high-risk food businesses and needed to be visited at least three times a year, said Mr Whelan.

Because of the shortage of officers, some businesses were only visited once a year.

Last month, closure orders were served Taj Mahal in Patrick Street, Waterford, and on the Mandarin Castle Chinese Takeaway, Rathangan, Co Kildare.

A closure order was also served on Aaron McQuaid requiring him to stop selling food from a stall in Manorcunningham, Co Donegal.

Over the first six months of this year a total of 32 enforcement orders were issued and included 24 closure orders, four improvement orders and four prohibition orders.