City centre bar served with closure notice by Food Safety Authority of Ireland

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that seven Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order were served on food businesses during the month of May for breaches of food safety legislation.

The Enforcement Orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Four Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• Pygmalion Public House, Unit 19, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, William Street South, Dublin 2
• Go Go Pizza and Kebab, Whitemill Road, Wexford
• HG Ritchie Limited (manufacturer), Jamestown Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8
• Mart Café, Raphoe Mart, Derry Road, Raphoe, Co. Donegal

Three Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

• Sillis Green Veg (Closed activities: The use of sodium metabisulphite in the dipping process and production of foodstuffs), Sillis, Glaslough, Co. Monaghan
• Milne Foods Limited (Closed activities: processing of all ready-to-eat foods on the premises), Syngefield Industrial Estate, Birr, Co. Offaly
• Golden Beach Supermarket (Closed Activities: The preparation and serving of food in the ground floor kitchen and service area. The slicing and/or packing of food products in basement storeroom), 137 Parnell Street, Dublin 1

One Prohibition Order was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

• Bullet Duck & Dumpling (restaurant/café), 27 Mary Street Little, Dublin 7

Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in May include: a lack of adequate procedures in place to control pests with live rodents and droppings spotted; high-risk food such as beef, chicken and pork dishes kept at temperatures that were likely to result in a health risk; food debris, encrusted dirt and grease on floor surfaces, wall surfaces and shelving; no hot water in any sinks at the premises; a lack of allergen information; following sampling, Listeria monocytogenes detected in some ready-to-eat foods; an electric fly killer full of dead insects was located directly above a production line; no evidence of a food safety management system in place.

Commenting today, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that it is disappointing to see such disregard for consumer health in these food businesses.

“It is simply unacceptable that some food businesses across Ireland continue to operate without fully adhering to food safety and hygiene legislation. In particular, multiple occurrences in Enforcement Orders issued in May show a complete lack of adequate procedures in place to control pests.

“Consumers of food in Ireland have a right to safe food and hygienic food premises.

“As we move into warmer summer months, it is disappointing to note that some food businesses are also inadequately monitoring their electric fly killers, and in some cases are preparing food directly beneath leading to a risk of possible contamination.

“The health of consumers must never be put at risk, and we urge food businesses not to be so careless.”

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website at www.fsai.ie.

Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.