July saw seven Closure Orders being issued on food business in Ireland. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported that these Closure Orders were served on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation, according to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010. The Orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Closure Orders served under the FSAI Act, 1998 - which deems there to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or on the premises - were issued to Sur La Mer, Station Road, Rosslare Strand, Wexford; Monsoon Valley, Unit 5, Building 2, Retail Park, Bundoran, Donegal and The Swiss Cottage Kitchen, 400 Swords Road, Santry, Dublin 9.
There were also four Closure Orders served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010, which is for non-compliance with food legislation. These were Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant, 1st floor, 88 Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk, Louth; Ruposhi Indian Restaurant, 1 Whitworth Road, Dublin 9; Heaven’s Cakes (food stall), Trading at the English Market, Grand Parade, Cork and The Coachmans Tearooms, Dublin Road, Dromiskin, Dundalk, Louth.
There were also three successful prosecutions carried out by the HSE on Omniplex Cinema Wexford (take away), Strandfield, Drinagh, Wexford; Indian Taste (take away), 43 St Marys Terrace, Ballybough Road, Dublin 3; The House Pizza (take away), 1 Shelbourne Terrace, Thomondgate, Limerick.
Commenting on these Closure Orders, Prof. Alan Reilly, Chief Executive, FSAI, stated that vigilance is always required in relation to food safety and that the legal onus is on food businesses to act responsibly and ensure that the food they serve and sell is safe to eat.
“Each Closure Order undermines consumer confidence in food safety which not only affects the food business involved, but the industry as a whole,” states Prof. Reilly. “While most food businesses are committed to high standards for the health of their customers, this is not always the case. We’re urging food businesses to make sure that they have a food safety management system in place and that it is consulted on a regular basis and updated, where necessary, to ensure non-compliance issues and breaches of food safety legislation do not occur.”
Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website .
