‘Filthy’ Donegal takeaway among 3 food outlets forced to close

A "filthy" Donegal takeaway was ordered to close its doors after inspectors found a litany of offences from liquid pools in the toilet to dead insects stuck in fly screens.

Bay View, on Main Street in Carrigart, was one of three food businesses served with closure orders by food safety officials in March.

Details published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) on Thursday described a premises "filthy throughout at the time of inspection".

It listed food debris on the floor as well as grease, dirt and residue on food contact surfaces, walls and shelving in all areas.

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“The staff WC was filthy and there was a significant pool of liquid on the floor around the toilet,” it said.

“Fly screens affixed to the rear external door and to the window in the kitchen that opens into the street to the front of the premises, were filthy with grease and numerous dead insects.”

The inspectors also noted that internal surfaces of equipment including refrigerators, a microwave oven and numerous reused plastic food containers were “filthy”.

Their lengthy report described a lack of food stock control procedures with many items in chilled and frozen storage, including cooked doner kebab and chicken meat having no indication of durability.

“Staff were unable to confirm the age of food held in stock on the premises,” it said. “Unfit, mould-covered chicken tikka paste was noted in storage adjacent to other open, uncovered foods and ingredients in the fridge nearest the front window of the kitchen.”

Unapproved

Elsewhere, Céile Homemade Catering at Deerpark Drive, Kiltipper, Dublin 24, was also closed. A report noted that as well as being unregistered and unapproved, the premises was used primarily as a private dwelling house and lacked appropriate hygiene.

Among a poor standard of cleanliness in the food preparation area, were a tray of cat litter on the ground and an ashtray on the table.

“There were inadequate procedures in place to prevent domestic animals from having access to the food preparation area,” the report said.

It was also found to be operating without food safety management procedures or associated monitoring records; that it did not provide food information to consumers; and that it lacked effective traceability.

Lean & Green Meals at Navan Soup Kitchen in Co Meath was closed for being unregistered, not having appropriate food safety management procedures, failing to provide consumers with food information, and not having effective traceability.

The business was also one of two recipients of prohibition orders, which target the sale of particular food products. The other related to the storage of meat at Brazuca Market on Parnell Street in Dublin.

"It is wholly unacceptable that some food businesses are choosing to operate outside of the law and also that they did not register their business before they started operating," said Dr Pamela Byrne, FSAI chief executive.

“All food business owners, big or small, whether trading from a business premises, in the home, from a mobile unit, food truck and/or online, must be registered and must be operating in line with food safety and hygiene legislation.”