‘Filthy’ kitchen conditions among reasons for latest food closure orders

Bins of uncovered meat waste, the sale of meat considered unfit for human consumption and evidence of vermin infestations were among the reasons food premises were served with closure orders in the run-up to Christmas.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served six closure orders in December for breaches of food safety legislation including one on a popular pub in Dublin 7 and a shop in Ballaghdereen, Co Roscommon.

Parts of the Hole in the Wall on Blackhorse Avenue in Cabra were served with a closure order after food safety inspectors unearthed multiple breaches.

At the time of the inspection, many parts of the premises were found to be in a poor standard of repair with inspectors noting no running hot and cold water at the wash-hand basin nor materials for hygienic hand drying in the staff toilet.

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Food contact surfaces in the food preparation areas “were in an extremely dirty condition” with “a significant build up of old food debris resulting in a dirty, greasy layer on floor-wall junctions” also observed.

“Decomposing food debris on the ground underneath the shelves in the walk-in fridge which had not been removed” were also recorded as was “black dirt accumulating on the surfaces of cooking equipment, along with unclean doors, and dirty legs on the equipment”.

The report said the “filters and canopy of the ventilation unit over the cooking equipment were in a filthy condition with a large build-up of grease, dust and plant or tree leaves were also noted within the unit”.

RBK Poultry in Chapelizod Industrial Estate, Dublin 10 was served with a closure order over the presence of “meat considered unfit for human consumption due to putrefaction, foreign body contamination and poor storage conditions”.

At the Ballaghaderreen Grocery Store in Roscommon “20 cardboard boxes and one opened bin of uncovered animal [meat] waste were stored outside the back door of the premises on a trolley”.

Inspectors noted that the waste “had started to emanate malodours” and was “not stored in sealed, leakproof containers” while “arrangements were not in place for prompt disposal of this waste [which] was an attraction for vermin as it was uncovered and easily accessible for pests to feed off”.

A closure order was also served on Casey’s Pub in Raheenagh, Limerick when it was found that a “small kitchen without adequate working space was used to store and prepare food”.

“This lack of space did not permit good food hygiene practices, including protection against contamination as raw and ready to eat food were stored beside each other,” the FSAI said.

A lack of sinks was also noted while the “wall of the side room (store with a table with eggs, canned beans and bags of bread) was constructed of open loose stones and mortar, part of this wall was crumbling and it was not maintained in a sound condition that was easy to clean. There was a risk of loose stone falling into the food stored or opened here.”

At the Cosy Corner in Killygordon, Lifford, Co Donegal inspectors noted a “sandwich production area was not clean” while the “shelving within the sandwich fridge and the base within the fridge were dirty” and “mould growth was noted on seals and within the chest freezer storing baguettes”. There were also “dirty floor brushes and obsolete items found lying on the floor at the sandwich production area” The report also noted the staff toilets were “not clean”.

The African Shop on Shandon St in Cork was also served with a closure order and was said to present a “grave and immediate danger to public health” after evidence of vermin was detected including droppings and food bags consistent with being gnawed by rodents.

The FSAI said 77 enforcement orders were served on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation last year, up 31 per cent on the 59 that were served in 2021.

Commenting on the annual figures, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, said she would have hoped to see a reduction in the number of enforcement orders, but “disappointingly” this was not the case.

“Through the hard work of our partner agencies and food inspectors in 2022, food businesses that disregarded the law and put consumer health at risk were stopped.

“However, this should not be happening. enforcement orders are served on food businesses only when a risk to consumer health has been identified or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation. Food businesses should not be falling short on their legal requirements. They should adhere to food safety regulations at all times. It is disappointing that month after month, food inspectors find similar, basic and fundamental breaches of food law,” she said.