Over half the closure orders were served to Dublin businesses.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) have released their monthly list of closure orders from the month of February, of which there were ten in Ireland (five under the FSAI Act, 1998 and five under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020).
Six closure orders were served to Dublin hospitality businesses, including Lusk Chinese Take Away, Strudel Artisan Bakery in Dún Laoghaire, Amerta Chinese Restaurant in Monkstown, Pure Indulgence in Clonee, Hidden Dojo Asian Streetfood, and Wakami Sushi in Phibsborough.
The other four closure orders were served to Hayashi restaurant in Offaly, Shinu George in Waterford, Offbeat Donuts in Cork, and Coriander Nepalese and Indian Restaurant in Cork.
In the case of Hidden Dojo Asian Streetfood and Wakami Sushi in Phibsborough, which operate under one premises, their closure order was issued due to evidence of personal items in the food prep area, including blankets, duvets, a mattress, and cosmetics, amongst other reasons such as unclean surfaces and a lack of clear food labelling.
Other reasons behind the closure orders include the following:
- Rodent infestation
- The sale of food product with the claim ‘nut free’ in a premises that contains tree nuts and peanuts
- Use of a domestic premises to provide off-site catering
- Inadequate or no food labelling
- Uncovered cooked rice stored on a bin next to a container of raw chicken
Of the ten closure orders issued, nine have since been lifted. The order in place for Waterford takeaway Shinu George, which was issued on February 7th and saw them use domestic premises to provide off-site catering, remains in place.
Chief Executive of the FSAI Dr Pamela Byrne said this of the closure orders in February, and about food safety in the hospitality business:
“Food safety is not a ‘nice to have’ in a food business. It’s a legal requirement and the law is there to protect consumer health. Consumers have a right to safe food and the food business owner is legally responsible for ensuring that the food they produce is safe to eat. Maintaining a clean premises that is fit for purpose, managing pest control, properly labelling produce and providing traceability information are mandatory legal requirements for all food businesses. By neglecting to uphold basic food safety and hygiene standards, a business not only jeopardises the health of its customers, but also risks damaging its own reputation as a trustworthy food business.”
You can read the enforcement reports in their entirety here.
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