A retailer in Letterkenny, Co Donegal received one of the three closure orders issued in February by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) after rodent droppings and a dead mouse were found.
One prohibition order was also issued and, during the months of January and February, three prosecutions were taken by the Health Service Executive (HSE), the FSAI said on Tuesday.
Retailer Letterkenny Spiceland, located at Unit 1, Green Isle Park, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was issued with a closure order on February 9th; it was lifted on February 17th.
The closure order was issued as the construction of the food premises did not present good hygiene practices, including against contamination – in particular pest control.
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Rodent droppings were found on food packaging and on food, a dead mouse was found under food shelving, and holes and gaps were noted to the rear of the premises.
Masala Chowk restaurant and takeaway, also located at Unit 1, Green Isle Park, Port Road, Letterkenny, was issued with a closure order on February 9th, which was lifted on February 19th.
The food hygiene inspection report said there was “widespread rodent activity”. Rodent droppings were found on and around food packaging, shelving and equipment. It also said this was “exacerbated by a clear lack of cleaning”.
A closure order was meanwhile issued to retailer Duud, located at Pinewood House, Huntstown Road, Huntstown, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 on February 3rd and had not been lifted at the time the report was issued.
The closure order directed the closure of the rear yard including the two storage containers at the rear of the premises.
The report said the yard and containers did not allow for good food hygiene practices. .
It found that food was not protected against contamination from pests, evidenced by an infestation found within the two storage containers, with numerous rodent droppings noted in different locations throughout.
Rodent droppings in the two storage containers were found on boxes containing food, on the floor and on pallets used to store food. Large amounts of stock was stored directly up against walls, preventing adequate access for cleaning and effective pest control monitoring.
Pest control procedures were not considered adequate and the containers and yard were not kept clean.
Retailer Good African food store, located at 108bb Oldtown Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal was issued with a prohibition order on February 19th which has not yet been lifted.
Bags of honey beans from Nigeria in various weights were withdrawn due to noncompliance.
The report said that these food items were displayed for sale without adequate labelling or identification to facilitate its traceability through relevant documentation. It said that when requested, no labelling was available for these items.
A prosecution was taken by the HSE against Fresh Today, located on Athboy Road, Trim, Co Meath.
The offence took place on June 3rd, 2025 and the hearing occurred on February 20th. A fine was imposed of €2,000, €4,500 was awarded in costs and a voluntary contribution of €2,000 was given to the affected party.
A prosecution was taken against Elite Events and Caterers located at Carrigeen GAA, Waddingstown, Mooncoin, Co Kilkenny. The offence occurred on June 21st, 2025 and the hearing was on February 20th. Fines of €1,500 were imposed and costs of €1,400 were awarded on each of the three individuals prosecuted.
Trim ’n Healthy, located at 3 Haggard Court, Haggard Street, Trim, Co Meath, had a prosecution taken against it due to an offence that occurred on February 11th, 2025.
The hearing took place on January 23rd. A fine of €300 was imposed and costs of €1,500 were awarded.
