Dead rodent and staff toilet leak cited as reasons for latest food business closures – The Irish Times

A dead rodent near the kitchen, a leak in the staff toilet that flowed into the food storage and preparation area and flooded a nearby carpet were among the reasons food businesses were served with shutdown orders in February.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served nine closure orders and one ban order on food businesses in February for breaches of food safety legislation.

The breaches occurred under the FSAI Act 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020.

These included part of Cork Oriental Supermarket Ltd at 13 Dalton’s Avenue in Cork, which had its kitchen and kitchen storage closed on February 9.

According to the closure order, “rodent excrement was found on wall-floor transitions in the kitchen and the storage room connected to the kitchen” and “found on food containers in the storage room connected to the kitchen”.

“A dead rodent was found in the room connected to the kitchen,” the order said.

Il Capo takeaway at 62 Talbot Street, Dublin 1 closed on 16 February. The order was canceled on February 24.

The order said that “significant rodent droppings were present in the premises where food is prepared and stored” and that “a dead mouse was found in a trap under shelves where food and food contact equipment were stored”.

It also said that “appropriate procedures were not in place to prevent pests from entering the food rooms”.

At 27 Capel Street, Dublin 1, White Rabbit Catering Limited and Super Asia Food were served with closure orders on 16 February. They were lifted on February 22.

The closure orders both said that “active rat infestations, evidenced by the presence of rodent droppings, have been detected in the food facilities where food is prepared and stored”.

Homesavers in Unit 4, Mile Height Retail Park, Tralee, Co. Kerry, was ordered on February 9 to “cease the sale, packaging and/or processing of all grocery products on the premises”. That closure order was lifted on February 23.

Their closure order states that “an authorized officer was prevented/impeded from conducting an inspection to fully determine the nature and extent of any pest infestation and the extent of any contamination of food after the presence of rodent droppings was found during the inspection on the terrain”.

According to the arrangement, “rodent droppings were visible under shelves in the workshop area of ​​the company premises”.

A closure order was served on East Oriental Take Out, Unit 5, Block C, Brabazon Hall, Ardee Street, Dublin 8 on 16 February.

Nonconformities listed at the time of the inspection included the refrigeration unit being contaminated “both inside and out” and the fact that “the cold room and shelving had a large accumulation of food debris and black mold.”

It was also noted that among other violations, “a mass of food debris had accumulated on the floor near the ovens, floor-to-wall junctions and behind all appliances.”

Top Oil Gala’s food court and deli on McKee Avenue in Finglas, Dublin 11, was served with a closure order on February 14, among other things due to “a significant risk of cross-contamination due to the condition of the staff toilet”.

The order stated that “the staff toilet was flooded by a water leak that leaked into the food storage area and the catering/deli area” and that the staff did not have access to toilet facilities on the premises.

It added that “flood water that originates from a toilet is likely to be contaminated with potentially harmful pathogenic microorganisms”.

It also said that “the staff toilet was in a dirty state and a bin was overflowing with used tissues and personal care products.”

The carpet in the back shop next to the staff toilet was “saturated with potentially contaminated water from the leaking water in the staff toilet” and was in a “dirty condition,” the order said.

The store was instructed to replace the carpet with a “hard, durable, non-absorbent and easy-to-clean” surface.

“The heat holding unit in the premises was not working properly due to a broken lamp. As a result, cooked food was not kept above 65 degrees” and all food had to be destroyed.

There is also “no hot water available in the premises, not even at the sinks”.

On February 3, Dook’s Find Foods, The Cross, Fethard, Tipperary was issued a closure order because it “has not established, implemented and maintained a permanent procedure or procedure” based on hazard analysis and critical control point principles.

The order states: “Adequate HACCP-based processes for the production of parsley mayonnaise, beetroot hummus, arugula pesto and chicken chorizo ​​bap have not been established and implemented”.

The results of the microbiological analysis of official samples of these products “confirmed unsatisfactory levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli)”.

The presence of E.coli in these products “suggests that fecal pathogens may also be present or that poor hygiene practices may have occurred during processing and/or post-processing,” according to the closure order.

The order to close The Dook’s Fine Foods was lifted on February 8th.

On St Mary’s Road in Edenderry, County Offaly, Gianny’s Takeaway was closed on February 3 because “food leftovers and black mold were observed on the under-counter refrigeration unit where food was stored”.

The order also states that “the floors throughout the building were greasy and unclean” and that “the floor in the kitchen was particularly unclean, with dirt and food debris sticking particularly to the edges of the walls, counters, and under appliances and tables.” were ascertained”.

It was observed that “walls and ceiling surfaces throughout the building were unclean and covered in dust” and “uncovered food containers were observed to be stored in unclean cold storage which could lead to food contamination”.

There were a number of other issues in the closure order, which was lifted on February 8.

On 20 February a banning order was served on Fish Seafood Deli Ltd, Unit 6/7, Carbery, Enterprise Park, Skibbereen, Co Cork by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.

A number of products were withdrawn, including, but not limited to, “obsolete convenience products from the Fresh Seafoods Deli” and 22 cases of obsolete hake.

dr Pamela Byrne, executive director of FSAI, said maintaining clean premises is essential and mandatory for any food business.

“Consumers need to be confident that the food they are served is safe and it is unacceptable that some food companies are failing to meet that requirement. Storage and food preparation areas must be properly cleaned and maintained to avoid potential food contamination,” said Dr. byrne

“It’s also important that businesses have proper pest control procedures in place and regularly check that there are no pests on their premises.”

On 22 February in Monaghan District Court Catherine Mullaney, Marcus John McCabe and Kamaceuticals Limited were fined a total of €3,000 in two counts of obstruction by authorized officers of the Health Service Executive.

The FSAI stated that this decision sends a strong message to food businesses that under no circumstances will obstruction of an authorized officer be tolerated.