Cockroaches and rodent activity: 14 enforcement orders on food businesses in March

FSAI inspectors found cockroach infestations in a number of food businesses.

Cockroach infestations, meat being “air-dried” in a bedroom and rodent activity are among the reasons why enforcement orders were served on food businesses last month by inspectors.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served 12 closure orders, and two prohibition orders, on food providers last month for breaches of food safety legislation.

Enforcement orders were issued by environmental health officers after evidence of an active cockroach infestation was found at Dailo Nepali Kitchen, Kitchen 4, Moore Street Mall, Dublin 1.

Evidence of an active cockroach infestation was also found at Tiramisu Mania, Moore Street Mall, 58 Parnell Street, Dublin 1.

Inspectors found an “active cockroach” infestation in the premises when they visited Tiramisu Mania on March 31, which was evidenced by “the presence of live cockroaches noted on trays in the food preparation/service area where open food is being prepared, such as ready to eat cakes and pizza.” 

This included “all stages of the life cycle” of cockroaches, the inspector noted.

“Cockroaches are known to spread pathogens which can pose a risk to human health”, the report states, adding food produced in these conditions is “likely to be unsafe and poses a grave and immediate risk to public health".

At Kebab House 66, at Moore Street Mall, 58 Parnell Street, Dublin 1, officers noted rodent activity on the premises, including “the presence of two recently dead" mice in cockroach traps in the back kitchen area, as well as mouse droppings.

In total, eight closure orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998, to businesses.

This included:

• Kebab House 66 (service sector), Moore Street Mall, 58 Parnell Street, Dublin 1;
• Georgian Delight (restaurant/ café), Unit 3, Moore Street Mall, 58-66 Parnell Street, Dublin 1;
• Dailo Nepali Kitchen (Restaurant/ Cafe), Kitchen 4, Moore Street Mall, 58-66 Parnell Street, Dublin 1;
• Tiramisu Mania (manufacturer), Moore Street Mall, 58 Parnell Street, Dublin 1;
• Spicy Bite (restaurant/ cafe), Unit 1, Moore Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1;
• Glanmore Foods Limited, Grange Community College (service sector), Grange Abbey Road, Donaghmede, Dublin 13;
• Eskimo Pizza, Bandon (closed area: the potato peeling room at the rear of the premises) (takeaway), 1 St Patrick’s Quay, Bandon, Cork; 
• Eurospar (retailer), 25-27 Annesley Bridge Road, Fairview, Dublin 3. 

Four closure orders were also issued by the FSAI under European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 to:

• Bruno Gomes (wholesaler/ distributor), Meath;
• Arsh Bazzar (closed area: butcher area) (retailer), 6 Mary Street, Clonmel, Tipperary;
• Mars Pizza (takeaway), Coolbeg, Kildimo, Limerick;
• Meet Brazil (closed area: the kitchen area upstairs serving the restaurant and take away. The retail area downstairs can remain open.) Castle Hill, Enniscorthy, Wexford. 

Officers also issued a food business in operation from a domestic dwelling at Ferndale, Navan, Meath, with a closure order after meat being air-dried in a bedroom was found when inspected.

The inspection report notes how “pieces of meat were tied to plastic crates placed adjacent to a radiator, and covered with cardboard”.

According to the FSAI, some of the reasons for the enforcement orders issued in March also included: No suitable hand-washing facilities available to food workers; no hot water or soap for hand-washing; cleaning materials stored in dirty stagnant water; thick waste discharge covering an entire floor in a kitchen; and equipment observed to be heavily soiled and in an unclean condition. 

FSAI chief executive Greg Dempsey said it was “disappointing” to see enforcement action being necessary due to fundamental breaches.

“Inspectors are finding recurring incidents of pest infestations and unhygienic practices in food businesses.

“These are entirely preventable non-compliances when proper food safety management systems are in place.

“Consumers have a right to safe food. Under food law, it is the legal responsibility of food businesses to ensure that the food they sell to the consumer is safe to eat.

“If anyone experiences unfit food, poor hygiene standards or notices a breach of food law in a food business, we encourage them to contact us via our online complaint form at www.fsai.ie/makeitbetter. Reporting inappropriate and unsafe food practices provides us with information that we can act upon," he added.