Hole in the Wall & Casey’s get December Closure Orders

The kitchen, side preparation areas and storage shed of The Hole in the Wall pub on Dublin's Blackhourse Avenue figured among six Closure Orders issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland last month.

Another pub, Casey’s of Raheenagh in Limerick, also received a Closure Order relating to its kitchen, its store room off the kitchen and the part of the keg/bottle store room used for food production activities as well as a table with fryers and a soup tureen.

Some of the reasons for the six Closure Orders in December included: open bin of uncovered animal (meat) waste stored outside a premises, within easy access of vermin and pests; an establishment stored meat considered unfit for human consumption due to putrefaction, foreign body contamination and poor storage conditions; an unregistered meat food business was operating with no food safety procedures or records to fulfil meat traceability requirements; a freezer room had been switched off leading to an interruption to the cold chain with frozen meat haphazardly stored alongside frozen animal by-product waste; previous inspection notes such as improving hygiene and cleaning practices were not followed; growth visible within a freezer storing baguettes; food workers were not wearing protective clothing when preparing sandwiches, baguettes and wraps; and rodent droppings noted on packet of foods on sale to the public and in the area where foods were re-packed for sale.

In all, 77 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation in 2022, an increase of 31% on the 59 that were served in 2021. The increase in Enforcement Orders follows almost a full year of normal food business operations following the lifting of remaining Covid-19 restrictions in early 2022.

Between the 1st of January and the 31st of December 2022, 65 Closure Orders and 12 Prohibition Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive, sea-fisheries protection officers in the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority and FSAI officers on food businesses throughout the country.

Enforcement Orders are served on food businesses only when a risk to consumer health has been identified or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation,” explained FSAI Chief Executive Dr Pamela Byrne, “It is disappointing that month after month food inspectors find similar, basic and fundamental breaches of food law”.