Restaurant closures prompt plea over consumers

The health of consumers must be protected from restaurants who cut corners on food hygiene, it was claimed today.

As it emerged that a food safety watchdog shut down six businesses in August, the Labour Party said irresponsible operators should not be tolerated.

Food safety spokesperson Mary Upton said: “It is entirely unacceptable that six closure orders were issued in one month as these are only given when there is a grave and immediate danger to health.

“The consequences of low standards in food safety are a serious threat to public health.

“It is essential that food outlets maintain the highest standards, not to do so is to put the health of the consumer at risk as well as possibly damaging the reputation of the country as a producer of high quality, safe food.”

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) confirmed it issued closure orders on the businesses in Dublin and Cos Cork, Wexford and Galway.

The premises were the Shanghai Chinese restaurant in Skibbereen, Co Cork; the Tian Tian fish market on Dublin’s Moore Street; Goslin’s pub in Gorey, Co Wexford; Lam’s Chinese take-away in Loughrea, Co Galway; and two catering firms working at the Earl of Kildare Hotel in Dublin.

Ms Upton added: “While most food operators work under the highest standards, it only takes one outlet to ignore the basic standards of hygiene and cause a serious outbreak.

“The elderly, young children and immuno-compromised people are always in a high-risk category and it would be disastrous if they were to become infected with a food poisoning bug because of the indifference of food operators.

“Closure Orders are not lightly given. Irresponsible food operators should not be tolerated and only allowed to re-open after the most rigorous inspection.”

Earlier, FSAI chief executive Dr John O’Brien warned that all consumers must be confident that the food they purchase is safe to eat.

“Closure Orders are served when there are serious legal infringements and standards have fallen so low that the public’s health has been put at risk,” he said.

“All food businesses must adhere to best food safety and hygiene practices in their premises.

“Food businesses that neglect food safety and put their customers’ health at risk will not be tolerated and risk being closed down until such a time as they have implemented the correct food safety procedures.”

The restaurants will remain closed until environmental health inspectors deem them sufficiently safe to reopen.

The restaurants will remain blacklisted on the FSAI website for three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its hygiene problems.

A total of 22 restaurants have so far been shut down in 2005, compared to 42 for the whole of 2004.

“Hopefully the number of closure orders over the next four months will remain below last year’s total,” said Mr O’Brien.