Closure orders were served on three food premises last month, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland announced yesterday.
Environmental health officers served closure orders on Melly's Cafe, Main Street, Killybegs, Co Donegal; Camden Halal Grocery, Lower Camden Street, Dublin; and on Valdas Simkus in connection with a premises at Creeve, Clontibret, Co Monaghan.
The closure order on the Camden Street Halal premises in Dublin was lifted four days after it was served on April 5th.
A prohibition order was also served on Mr Simkus in Clontibret; and on the Galway and Aran Co-operative, Rossaveal.
This Galway prohibition order related to 16 boxes of whole prawns.
Because of possible contamination with excess sodium metabisulphate - powder visible on the surface of some boxes and on the surface of some prawns, the order was served pending the results of official analysis.
The five orders served in April represented the highest number issued in one month so far this year for breaches in food safety legislation, according to Dr John O'Brien, chief executive, FSAI.
"Food business operators must not continue to allow their premises to deteriorate to such a degree that inspectors have to use such stringent legal powers to ensure consumer health is protected," he said.
Commenting on the figures, Dr Mary Upton, Labour's spokeswoman on food, said they were disturbing because the orders were issued only when there was a "grave and immediate danger to health.
"It is absolutely outrageous and completely unacceptable that the health of the consumer is being put at risk in this way. At the very least, anyone who has a closure order served against them should be obliged to attend a food hygiene course, while all proprietors should be more involved in food hygiene on their premises," she said.