Five food safety orders in October – Open Meeting to Explore Food Safety and Sustainability

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) reported that five Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses during the month of October for breaches of food safety legislation, as it gears up for the Food Safety Consultative Council (FSCC) of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), Open Meeting, focusing on food sustainability and safety on November 16.

The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE). Two Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• Base Coffee, The Mart, Newbridge Road, Kilcullen, Kildare
• Indian Spices (restaurant/café), 138 Parnell Street, Dublin 1

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

• Mizzoni Pizza (take away), 12 Railway Street, Navan, Meath
• Seasons Chinese, Bridge Street, Strokestown, Roscommon

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

• Meghans Café, 8 Cecilia Street, Dublin 2

Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in October include: cooking trays not washed after use and congealed with grease and charred food particles; mould growth visible on the internal surfaces of a milkshake blender with a foul odour detected when the lid was removed; the presence of undeclared allergens in food with a potential to cause a life threatening allergic reaction; no evidence of a food safety culture; a drinking water sample taken from the food business indicating contamination of the supply; large open containers of raw chicken left on various surfaces throughout the food premises at room temperature, permitting the growth of bacteria; no hand washing observed during the inspection; filthy premises with dirty cardboard used both as a food contact surface for cooked rice and on the flooring throughout the premises.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that the issues resulting in the five Enforcement Orders in October related to failures in basic food safety and hygiene requirements, and expressed her disappointment at the absence of food safety culture in some establishments.

“Food businesses must ensure there is a strong food safety culture in place, including adequate training for all staff. This simply must be a top priority for food businesses. Consumers have a right to safe food, and there is a personal responsibility for managers and all employees to comply with food safety legal requirements at all times. Neglecting food safety demonstrates disregard for the well-being of customers and also potentially places their health at an unnecessary risk. There can be zero tolerance for negligent practices that put consumers’ health at risk, and the full powers of food law will be used if a food business is found to be in breach.”

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. 

Open Meeting to Explore Food Safety and Sustainability

The Food Safety Consultative Council (FSCC) of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), will hold its Open Meeting, focusing on the theme of food sustainability on November 16. The meeting will provide a platform for the discussion of food safety and sustainability issues and will be joined by leading experts in the food safety and sustainability areas. For the first time since 2019, the event will take place in-person, at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin.

Chaired by Ms Suzanne Campbell, Food Journalist, Author and Broadcaster, the event will be introduced by Dr Pamela Byrne CEO, and Gail Carroll, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Building at the FSAI.

Topics explored on the day will include:

• Food Safety and Sustainable Food Systems – Jack A Bobo, Director Food Systems Institute, University of Nottingham
• Food Industry – Karen Capcarrere, Food Safety Manager at FoodCloud, Brendan Rice, CEO, Senoptica Technologies Ltd,Liz O’Leary, Head of Innovation, Keohane Seafoods and Giselle Makinde – Founder, Cream of The Crop Gelato
• International Food Trade – Steve Wearne, Chairperson of Codex Alimentarius Commission

Registration is free and available here. There will be an opportunity for audience members to participate in a Q & A session with the speakers.

Encouraging members of the public and interested stakeholders to sign up for the Consultative Council Open Meeting, Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO, FSAI said “This event will provide an open forum for stakeholders to engage and discuss food safety issues in the context of sustainability.  The guest speakers, sharing expertise from various aspects of the food safety and sustainability areas, will provide valuable insights into what we need to consider to ensure sustainability and food safety can be simultaneously achieved. It is important for all food businesses to put sustainability to the front of their agendas, and to make sure they are doing so in a food-safe way. By working together, food businesses can contribute to creating a more sustainable environment for all; and it is our utmost responsibility to make sure we all carry out our roles in this mission.”