Ten food businesses hit with FSAI enforcement orders in March, including one in Cork

Rat droppings, foul water and lack of hygiene among reasons for closure orders

The FSAI is responsible for ensuring food  businesses comply with food safety legislation.

Dirt on walls, an "overflow of foul water" in a production area and fresh rat droppings were among the reasons for Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) enforcement orders being issued on businesses in March.

The FSAI is responsible for ensuring businesses comply with food safety legislation.

The authority said one closure order was served last month under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

Inspectors said there was a "grave and immediate danger" in Le Chocolat de Frèd on Georges Street Lower in Dún Laoghaire in Dublin. They said a "large number of rodent droppings" were present in the café, including in a press where tea cups were stored, beside a jar of chocolate spread and on the floor in the kitchen. 

The business closed on March 28 and reopened on March 30.

Meanwhile, eight closure orders were served on businesses that breached EU's 2020 Act on controls in relation to food legislation.

• Cork Oriental Supermarket on Dalton's Avenue was found to have "no evidence of a food safety culture", with an accumulation of grease and food debris on cooking stations; spillages throughout the area, including in a cold room, and dirty door seals on freezers. It closed on March 22 and reopened on March 28
• Shangri La Asian Cuisine in Cabra, Dublin, was closed after a number of issues were found upon inspection, including raw meat being prepared in a sink that was being used to wash food, equipment and hands. "At no point during the inspection did either one of the chefs wash their hands with soap and water", the closure order read, while "both chefs were observed handling raw meat, cooked meat, salads, vegetables and noodles with their hands". It closed on March 28 and reopened on April 4.
• Super Marios in Tullamore, Offaly, was closed on March 27 and reopened on April 3. Among the reasons for closure included "a drain in the floor in the potato peeling/chipping area overflowing with foul water at the time of inspection, causing back flow and ponding of foul water in this food preparation area."
• Kingdom of Sweets on Westmoreland Street in Dublin city centre was found to have "fresh rat droppings noted in the basement of the premises, while there was "evidence of a lack of adequate and regular cleaning". It closed on March 25 and reopened on April 3.
• Babylon Kebab House in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, was shut on March 25 and reopened on March 26 after "a continuous failure to maintain consistent cleaning standards".
• Royal Caterers in Ashbourne Business Centre in Meath closed on March 22 and reopened on April 3. There was a "failure to maintain the food premises in a hygienic condition", and also issues with staff compliance.
• Hilan Chinese and Korean BBQ Restaurant, on Capel Street in Dublin had "no refrigerated or freezer unit operating effectively at the time of the inspection", with more issues around food preparation, including raw meat being prepared at a station for cooked foods. It closed on March 21 and reopened on March 29. The business was also served a prohibition order by the FSAI.
• Munch Box in Drumcondra, Dublin 9, was shut on March 7 and reopened on March 14. It was found, among other issues, to have "staff who did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of the basic principles of food safety".

FSAI chief executive Pamela Byrne said: "Consumers have a right to safe food and this legal obligation sits with the food business operators. These food businesses are damaging the reputation of the food industry as a whole and can impact the trust that consumers have in the food they eat."