6% Decrease in Food Safety Enforcement Orders in 2015
Thursday, 7 January 2016
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today stated that 106 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses for breaches in food safety legislation in 2015, compared with 113 in 2014, a decrease of 6%. Whilst welcoming the reduction in numbers of Enforcement Orders needing to be served, the FSAI re-emphasises that the legal onus is on food businesses to act responsibly and ensure that the food they serve and sell is safe to consume. The FSAI warns that all food businesses must ensure they have robust food safety management systems in place and that enforcement officers will not hold back in taking swift action against any food business that fails to meet its legal obligations in this area.
Between 1st January and 31st December 2015, enforcement officers served 90 Closure Orders and 16 Prohibition Orders on food businesses throughout the country. The types of recurring food safety issues which lead to Closure Orders are: poor cleaning and sanitation of premises; poor personal hygiene; lack of running water; inadequate hand washing facilities; incorrect food storage; lack of or ineffective pest control programme; structural problems arising from lack of ongoing maintenance and; lack of or inadequate food safety management system.
During the month of December 2015, seven Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order were served on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010. Seven of the enforcement orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and one by local authority veterinary inspectors in Limerick County Council.
Three Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
- Tom Costello (poultry slaughtering), Old Town Hospital, Limerick
- Tasty Bites (restaurant), 281 Hyde Road, Limerick
- Sunrise Indian and European Takeaway, Magheraclogher, Bunbeg, Donegal
Four Closure Orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
- JDs (delicatessen) (closed activity: preparation and sale of hot and cold foods at the deli counter), Unit 2-3, Rathcoole Shopping Mall, Main Street, Rathcoole, County Dublin
- John Doyles (public house) (closed activity: the preparation and service of foods only - service of beverages not affected), 160-1 Phibsborough Road, Phibsborough, Dublin 7
- Dynasty Restaurant, 31 Bridge Street, Skibereen, Cork
- Moonsoon Restaurant, Church Street, Collon, Louth
One Prohibition Order was served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
- Safco Fine Foods Ltd (manufacturer/packer), Unit 4 A, Cookstown Business Centre, Tallaght, Dublin 24
During the month of December, a successful prosecution was carried out by the HSE on Pizza House (restaurant), Bridge Street, Crossmolina, Mayo.
Commenting on the annual figures, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI warned that there can be no room for complacency when it comes to food safety and that the legal onus is on food businesses to ensure they fully comply with food safety legislation at all times. She stated: “There is absolutely no excuse for negligent food practices. The types of reasons cited for Closure Orders are recurring reasons and easily avoidable. They are simple errors that should not be happening in any food business. Food businesses need to have the proper systems in place to ensure that the food they are preparing or serving is safe to eat. While most food businesses follow high standards and are compliant with food safety legislation, we continue to encounter cases where consumers’ health is put at risk through a lack of compliance. This is unacceptable and will be met with the full rigors of the law.”
Dr Byrne urged food businesses to take full advantage of the information and support provided by the inspectorate and the FSAI to ensure that they have the correct food safety management systems in place. If any food business owner is unsure of what is required of them by law, they can contact the FSAI advice line at info@fsai.ie or visit its website www.fsai.ie or facebook page.
Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed 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.
