The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has revealed that 14 enforcement orders were served on food businesses last month.
The 13 closure orders and one prohibition order were for breaches of food safety legislation.
The enforcement orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The eight closure orders, served under the FSAI Act, 1998, were on:
- The Blue Door (take-away), 59 John Street, Kilkenny
- Delvin Mart (Closed area: Restaurant), Delvin, Westmeath
- Teach Lisa Crèche (Closed area: Kitchen), Newtowncunningham, Donegal
- O'Rourke's (retailer), 32 Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 8
- Tesco Ireland Limited, Dublin Road, Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim
- O'Briens Gala, Tulla Road, Ennis, Clare
- Everest Express Fish & Chips Takeaway, Tulla Road, Ennis, Clare
- Rice Asian Cuisine (restaurant), 11 Bridge Street, Ardee, Louth
While five closure orders were issued under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
- Galmere Fresh Foods Limited (Closed activity: Manufacturing of ready to eat products containing fresh basil, not subject to heat treatment, as an ingredient), BallybritUpper Industrial Estate, Monivea Road, Galway
- Colours of India (restaurant), Unit 2 Hibernian Way, Mallow, Cork
- Dawat Indian Restaurant, Main Street, Castlebar, Mayo
- Original Curry House (take away), Main Street, Kiltimagh, Mayo
- New World Thai and Chinese Take Away, 275 Glasnevin Avenue, Glasnevin, Dublin 11
While one prohibition order was served on Galmere Fresh Foods Limited, Ballybrit Upper Industrial Estate, Monivea Road, Galway.
There was also one prosecution during the month of November, taken by the HSE in relation to Cissie's Farm Shop, Ardnawark, Barnesmore, Donegal Town, Donegal.
The FSAI said their inspection of the Blue Door in Kilkenny found layers of grease coating the walls and equipment in the cooking area, no cleaning chemicals on site to effectively clean and disinfect the food contact equipment and surfaces, and foods stored in dirty containers and on the floor surface - with accumulations of old food debris and dirt.
It also found that the premises in its current structural condition is "not pest proof", and would allow rodents entry into the food areas.
At the Tesco outlet in Leitrim, the FSAI said there was evidence of "a significant rodent infestation" which posed a serious risk to public health.
Rodent droppings were noted on the lower shelf of the pre-packaged bread display unit.
There were also gnaw marks on the packaging of a loaf of bread.
The FSAI said: "Adequate controls have not been put in place to protect foodstuffs from contamination by rodent attack so as to eliminate the serious risk to public health.
"The available records showed that rodent activity had been noted on the 27th October 2018 and has been ongoing since that date".
In a statement following the FSAI publication, Tesco Ireland said: "Following a report from a customer in our Carrick-on-Shannon store a pest issue was identified.
"As is standard a temporary closure notice was issued on the evening of 6th November.
"We immediately arranged for a pest control company to carry out a thorough inspection and the store reopened at 3.30pm the following day, with all appropriate measures taken.
"Tesco operates to the highest health and hygiene standards and regrets this issue arose and inconvenienced customers."
At Galmere Fresh Foods in Galway, inspectors found the operator did not provide evidence of "sufficient hazard analysis" relating to the intake of fresh basil produce from a third country and, therefore, accepted ingredients that might reasonably be expected to be contaminated with pathogenic organism.
Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, said food businesses must operate strict food safety procedures at all times and that they need to be extra vigilant during this busy time of year.
"The reasons for the enforcement orders having to be served are all easily preventable in the first place and food businesses should not allow their standards to slip.
"All food businesses must ensure that they adhere to a high standard of food safety and hygiene at all times.
"It is also imperative that a proper pest control system is in place and that this is checked very regularly in order to avoid infestations of rodents and insects.
"With the busy Christmas period upon us, food businesses must be especially vigilant to ensure compliance with the law."
Read the reports in full here
