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13 Enforcement Orders for food safety breaches in September

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served 13 Enforcement Orders on food businesses in September.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI emphasised the serious nature of a food business being served an Enforcement Order.

She said Enforcement Orders, especially Closure Orders and Prohibition Orders, are used only when a serious risk to health has been identified or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation

Dr Byrne said: “Enforcement Orders and most especially Closure Orders and Prohibition Orders are never served for minor food safety breaches.

"Food inspectors have a range of other powers available to them, apart from Enforcement Orders that they can use for more minor breaches that they identify in a food business. The full suite of powers afforded to food inspectors working on behalf of the FSAI are in place to fundamentally protect consumers and restrict a food business from supplying food where there could be a risk to the safety of that food."

There were six businesses served with Closure Orders:

· Starbucks (restaurant/café), 21 Great Georges Street, Waterford

· Ruby King (restaurant/café), Unit 5, West Business Park, Circular Road, Roscommon

· Akanchawa's Honey Pot (restaurant/café), 40 Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7

· Fernhill Golf & Country Club (Closed area: restaurant and associated kitchen facilities within
  the club), Fernhill, Carrigaline, Cork

· Hannons Oakwood Hotel (Closed area: Kitchen area and all food service), Athlone
  Road, Roscommon

· Get Fresh Catering (restaurant/canteen), Castlerea Community School, Castlerea, Roscommon

Four Closure Orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:

· Ashford Oriental (restaurant/café), Main Street, Ashford, Wicklow

· Hairy Neds Pub and Shop (Closed activity: Shop deli and all food preparation areas),
  Crosskeys, Cavan

· Big Bites Take Away, Castle Street, Roscommon

· Fitto Café (restaurant/café), 12/13 Catherine Street, Limerick

Two Improvement Orders were served on:

· J2 Sushi & Bento (restaurant/canteen), 5 Market Square, Navan, Meath

· Asian and Arabic Food Market (grocery), 3 Parnell Street, Limerick

One Prohibition Order was served on:

· Arcross Foods (cold store), Blackrock, Louth

Dr Byrne said: "There can be no excuse for putting consumers’ health at risk through negligent practices. Food businesses have a legal onus to make sure that the food they sell or serve is safe to eat."