The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has reported that 12 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses during June for breaches of food safety legislation. The Enforcement Orders were issued by the HSE's Environmental Health Officers and officers of the FSAI.
There were five Closure Orders served under the FSAI Act, 1998; five Closure Orders served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020; and two Prohibition Orders served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. Also during June, there were two prosecutions taken by the HSE.
Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in June include a history of rodent activity with droppings found near fruit juice intended for children; open, ready-to-eat foods such as fresh lettuce suspected as having come into contact with rodents, with a likely risk of Salmonella; heavy cockroach activity in the kitchen, with dozens of live cockroaches spotted moving around food preparation areas, on the walls, floors, fridges, and inside food storage containers; a lack of adequate traceability systems and procedures for all products, undermining consumer safety; a failure to maintain the cold chain with insufficient fridge space to safely store high risk foods such as cooked rice and pasta; rodent droppings noted in the service area and near food storage; risk of cross contamination with ready-to-eat food such as smoked salmon stored next to raw food such as chicken and pork chops; and inadequate ventilation throughout the premises, evident by the large build-up of mould on the walls, ceilings and external doors.
FSAI Chief Executive Dr Pamela Byrne said: "When a food business fails to combat pest infestations, maintain the cold chain, or provide sufficient traceability information for food products on their premises, they are putting the health of their customers and staff at risk. Cross-contamination of foods has also been an issue with food businesses this month and this is unacceptable.
"While inspectors are available to answer questions and provide guidance, they have a duty to protect public health and will issue Enforcement Orders when businesses contravene the expected food safety standards. Consumers have a right to safe food and we call on all food businesses to ensure they are fulfilling this requirement on a daily basis."
If you require Food Safety/HACCP training for your staff, a Food Safety/HACCP system specifically designed for your food business or Food Safety advice, please contact SafeHands by phone on 01-7979836 or mobile on 0873823223, email info@safehands.ie or visit our website https://www.safehands.ie.