Doubling of restaurants served with enforcement orders

THE number of restaurants or canteens falling foul of health inspectors more than doubled last year.

Officials served 19 establishments with enforcement orders in 2007 compared with just eight the year before.

Figures from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) have revealed that 57 food businesses — also including shops, cafes and sandwich bars — were served with legal orders last year for flouting hygiene standards.

Compared with the total of 37 in 2006, the numbers of clean-up orders served on food business rose 54% last year.

Yesterday, public health chiefs expressed surprise about the rise in clean-up orders but stopped short of saying declining standards were to blame.

“We’re always disappointed when these decisions are taken as they are the last resort when there’s a serious risk to public health,” said FSAI director Ray Ellard.

“But to put the figures into perspective there are 44,000 food businesses out there and generally speaking the standards are pretty good.”

In 2006, the Health Service Executive (HSE), which does hygiene inspections for the FSAI, carried out 47,000 visits to 42,000 of the country’s 44,000 food businesses.

No figures are available for 2007 but Mr Ellard said the numbers of inspections would be roughly the same.

He said the public should be reassured by the rising number of closure and clean-up orders being served.

“It shows people out there that the inspectors are doing their job,” he said.

Prior to last year the numbers of orders had been falling since a high point in 2004 when 61 establishments were served with closure or clean-up orders.

The numbers fell to 43 the year after, tumbling to 37 in 2006 before rising to 57 last year.

Last night, the Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) described as ‘alarming’ the rise in the number of food businesses falling foul of basic food safety checks.

“This large increase is very disturbing and a step backwards for the food retailing business in Ireland,” said CAI chairman James Doorley.

“This should serve as a wake-up call to all in the industry that more needs to be done to improve food safety.

“Consumers deserve to know and be confident that the food they are being served has been prepared in a proper, safe and hygienic manner.”

Yesterday, the FSAI said owners of food businesses had no reason to break the law as help on hygiene standards was available from the authority.

FSAI chief executive John O’Brien said legal issues only arose as a last resort. “Enforcement officers only resort to using their legal powers to close a premises when standards have fallen so low that consumer health has been put at risk,” he said.