Flies around 'uncovered food': Closure order served on Tipperary restaurant

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported that a closure order was served on a Tipperary food business during the month of August for breaches of food safety legislation.

The closure orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE), pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.

A closure order was served to Divine Catering (domestic kitchen) in Nenagh, Tipperary.

The closure order was served to Mr Jaison Jose, Farnamurry Close, Ballygraigue Road, Nenagh.

The restaurant was non-compliant to the following: "The layout and design of the extension to the domestic kitchen, rear yard and adapted garden shed are not suitable to permit good food hygiene practices including the protection against contamination between and during operations.

"Surfaces were unsuitable and not capable of being easily cleaned and disinfected e.g. aeroboard ceiling, exposed concrete walls, wooden unsealed shelving, wall paper finish on walls, unsealed linoleum floor surface. Storage of catering equipment in exposed rear yard. Food contact surfaces were not capable of being easily cleaned and disinfected. Dirty scored chopping boards were observed. Evidence of food stored on unsealed wooden shelving."

According to the closure order published by the FSAI, the structures of the domestic kitchen extension and adapted garden shed "were not adequately pest proofed. Gaps were evident at wall ceiling level in the extension and at base of door leading to the yard, gap in wall and hole in ceiling of adapted garden shed were noted. Openable windows of extension and adapted garden shed not fitted with fly screens. Flies observed in kitchen extension where food was uncovered. There was no evidence that a pest control system was in place". 

In total, eight closure orders were served to restaurants across the country.

Some of the reasons for the closure orders in August included evidence of ongoing rodent infestation with droppings found in kitchen area; failure to implement adequate pest control measures; dead cockroaches found in traps and flies in the deli area; inadequate regular and thorough cleaning and uncovered bins filled with food waste.

A build-up of dirt on used catering equipment and on the floor was also found in some businesses, along with a lack of basic hygiene provisions - such as hot water, soap, and drying facilities for staff - food not stored at correct temperature; a lack of food allergen information available for customers and a failure to implement an appropriate food safety culture.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, warned that there is a legal responsibility for food businesses to act responsibly and ensure the food they provide to their customers is safe to eat.

“Whilst most food businesses follow high food safety standards and are compliant with food law, inspectors continue to encounter cases where consumers’ health is put at risk through a failure to comply with food safety and basic hygiene requirements."

"These non-compliances are avoidable, and we have zero tolerance for any food business that does not comply with its legal requirements," Dr Byrne continued.

"Food businesses have a legal requirement to ensure the safe supply of food and it is unacceptable that basic procedures like handwashing, cleaning, robust pest control measures and storing food correctly at the appropriate temperature are not being properly followed. Food businesses must do better.”

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website at www.fsai.ie. 

Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month from the date the Order was lifted.