Five enforcement orders were served on food businesses during the month of March for breaches of food safety legislation, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

The enforcement orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and officers of the FSAI. These comprised three closure orders and two prohibition orders, made under EU and Irish regulations.

Two closure orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

  • Céile Homemade Catering, 4 Deerpark Drive, Kiltipper, Dublin 24;
  • Lean & Green Meals, c/o Navan Soup Kitchen, 16A Brews Hill, Navan, Co. Meath.

One closure order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

  • Bay View (Take Away), Main Street, Carrigart, Co. Donegal.

Meanwhile, one prohibition order was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

  • Lean & Green Meals, c/o Navan Soup Kitchen, 16A Brews Hill, Navan, Co. Meath.

Finally, one prohibition order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

  • Brazuca Market, 145 Parnell Street, Dublin 1

The FSAI noted that some of the reasons for the closure orders in March include; poor standard of cleanliness; cat litter tray and ashtray in food preparation areas; no food safety management procedures or associated monitoring records; lack of allergen information for consumers; operating as a food business without registration or approval; and premises filthy throughout.

Some of the reasons prohibition orders were served include; operating as a food business without registration or approval; no food safety management procedures or associated monitoring records; food not being labelled with date of minimum durability ‘use by dates’; and lack of identification to verify origin of foodstuffs.

Commenting today, Dr. Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, emphasised it is the responsibility of the food business owner to ensure that their food business is operating in line with the legal obligations and requirements under food law.

“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.

“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.

“No matter where, how or from whom consumers buy food, it must be safe to eat, produced in an approved or registered food establishment and comply with food law,” Dr. Byrne concluded.