'Cockroach activity' in one food business as five served with closure orders in December

FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said she had hoped to see a reduction in the number of enforcement orders needing to be served in 2023.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has issued five enforcement orders over the past month for breaches of food safety legislation.

The latest enforcement report, published on Thursday, included two closure orders, which were served under the FSAI Act, 1998.

Sausage Paradise in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, was closed on December 13 due to the lack of handwashing facilities for food workers to utilise after handling raw meat.

The closure order revealed the premises was not pest-proof, with gaps observed in the external walls of the building, along with holes in the ceiling.

The inspection also noted a “risk of contamination” to the meat, which was stored in a non-food-grade cooking house on the premises, which has yet to reopen.

Padoca, on Dublin’s Capel Street, had “cockroach activity” in the food preparation areas and under equipment such as freezers and fryers.

The restaurant, which was served the closure order on December 11, was also observed to have high-risk foods stored in areas where the cockroaches “are likely to have contact with”. It reopened on December 21.

Two businesses were also served with closure orders under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020.

Duck, located on Dublin’s Fade Street, had its kitchen closed after dirty cleaning cloths were seen to be used to mop up “bloody water”, before being placed on kitchen surfaces and raw duck.

Flies were also observed near raw duck, a matter that was previously noted in two FSAI inspections prior.

Blood from the raw ducks was also seen to be dripping into open bags containing rice, flour and sugar. The premises closed on December 6 and has not since reopened.

In Meath, Golden Phoenix Chinese Restaurant, in Dunshaughlin, was ordered to close from December 5 until December 9.

An FSAI inspection found “mould growth” visible on multiple surfaces, with evidence that articles, fittings and equipment encountering food “were not effectively cleaned and disinfected”.

In addition, The Arch Bar, located in Swords, Co Dublin, was issued with a prohibition order under EU regulations on December 15. This was then lifted on December 22.

The inspector noted all water from the internal distribution system and taps and within the Arch Bar premises was “not to be used for human consumption” due to the lack of risk assessment and presence of bacteria.

The order was given based on the results of two water samples, taken on December 12, which found both eight and 57 coliform bacteria per 100ml in each sample.

“There is to be an adequate supply of potable water, which is to be used whenever necessary to ensure that foodstuffs are not contaminated,” the inspector noted.

Orders issues last year

The FSAI issued a total of 92 enforcement orders on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation in 2023 alone. This was an increase of 19% from the 77 orders that were served in 2022.

FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said she had hoped to see a reduction in the number of enforcement orders needing to be served in 2023.

“While each of these enforcement orders was necessary for the protection of consumer health in relation to food safety, we should not be seeing such breaches of food law occurring in food businesses at all,”  Dr Byrne said.  

“Enforcement orders are served on food businesses only when a risk to consumer health has been identified, or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation. It is a legal obligation for food businesses to ensure that they are proactive in adhering to food safety regulations.

"As we enter 2024, we urge food businesses to always prioritise and promote a culture of food safety in their businesses."