Failures in basic food safety lead to closure orders last month
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) reported that two Closure Orders were served on food businesses during the month of September for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Closure Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Two Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:
- Xi’an Street Food (take away) (Closed activity: Part of the activities of its establishment be ceased, specifically the cooking of duck spring rolls), 28 Anne Street South, Dublin 2
- Paul Tobin Butchers (Closed activities: Part of the activities of its establishment be ceased, specifically the production and processing of all cooked and ready-to-eat food on the premises. This Closure Order does not affect the sale of raw meat), 3 Abbey Road, Clonmel, Tipperary
Some of the reasons for the Closure Orders in September include; repeat failure to cook duck spring rolls thoroughly; failure to implement food safety management procedures; significant build-up of food debris, spillages and engrained dirt on the floor in the cooked/ready-to eat foods preparation area; layout and size of the premises unable to permit adequate separation between raw and ready-to-eat food handling operations; no provision of a designated sink for washing food such as the vegetables used in the preparation of ready-to-eat coleslaw.
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that the issues resulting in the two Closure Orders in September related to failures in basic food safety and hygiene requirements.
“Consumers have a right to safe food. Under food law, it is the legal responsibility of food businesses to ensure that the food they sell to the consumer is safe to eat. All food businesses must establish and regularly review a food safety management system to prevent instances of non-compliance and violations of food safety regulations such as these, which are only imposed when a significant risk to consumer health has been identified or when there are persistent, severe violations of food regulations,” said Dr Byrne.
