Closure orders as seven food businesses breach legislation

Seven food businesses, among them an award-winning cake stall in Cork’s English Market, were served with closure orders last month for various breaches of food safety legislation.

Yesterday, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published details of the affected businesses — including restaurants and cinema takeaways — which were served with the orders issued by environmental health officers in the HSE pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010.

Three of the closure orders were served under the FSAI Act 1998 on the Sur La Mer restaurant on Station Rd, Rosslare Strand in Co Wexford, on the Monsoon Valley restaurant in the Retail Park, Bundoran, Co Donegal, and on The Swiss Cottage Kitchen restaurant on the Swords Rd in Santry, Dublin 9.

Four of the closure orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2010 on the Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant on Clanbrassil St, Dundalk in Co Louth, on The Coachmans Tearooms restaurant on the Dublin Rd, Dromiskin, Dundalk, Co Louth, on the Ruposhi Indian Restaurant on Whitworth Rd in Dublin 9, and Heaven’s Cakes food stall in Cork’s English Market.

The award-winning 1996- founded cake stall, which specialises in traditional French patisserie, was forced to close for half a day because of an unplumbed sink.

Owner Joe Hegarty, who has been involved in the food industry since he was a teenager, said the issue was addressed immediately.

The HSE also took three successful prosecutions last month on the takeaway at the Omniplex Cinema in Drinagh, Co Wexford, on the Indian Taste takeaway at St Mary’s Terrace, Ballybough Rd in Dublin 3, and on The House Pizza takeaway on Shelbourne Terrace, Thomondgate in Limerick.

All the businesses pleaded guilty to various breaches of food safety regulations.

FSAI chief executive, Professor Alan Reilly, said vigilance is always required in relation to food safety and that the legal onus is on food businesses to act responsibly and ensure that the food they serve and sell is safe to eat.

“Each closure order undermines consumer confidence in food safety which not only affects the food business involved, but the industry as a whole,” he said.

“We’re urging food businesses to make sure that they have a food safety management system in place and that it is consulted on a regular basis and updated, where necessary, to ensure non-compliance issues and breaches of food safety legislation do not occur.”