Seven food businesses in Ireland have been handed closure orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), following the discovery of serious food hygiene breaches.
The orders, which were issued under the FSAI Act 1998, were issued to businesses in Cork, Clare, Roscommon, May and Blachardstown. The FSAI made the decision to take such an extreme measure after discovering a number of problems, including poor standards of cleanliness, food hygiene training for staff, a lack of a food safety management system and general poor practices.
Commenting on the orders, many of which will be lifted if the businesses take immediate action to make the required improvements, was the FSAI’s chief executive Professor Alan Reilly. He said:
“Each enforcement order sends a clear message to food businesses that unsafe food safety practices or non-compliance with food legislation is not tolerated by the inspection officers.
“There is absolutely no excuse for negligent practices. Food businesses must recognize that the legal onus is on them to make sure that the food they serve is safe to eat.”
The number of enforcement notices handed to food businesses in Ireland has increased dramatically in the first half of this year, increasing by 77 per cent compared to the same time in 2012.
