The kitchen and staff canteen of a creche on RTÉ’s Donnybrook campus in Dublin was served with a closure order in June after a Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) inspector discovered a “significant” number of rodent droppings.
The FSAI said the droppings at the Wee Care creche posed “grave and immediate danger” to food safety.
These were “evident on the floor behind and underneath two fridges, one freezer and an oven”, the inspector’s report said.
“Adequate procedures were not in place to control pests,” it said. The order was lifted on June 18.
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Wee Care was among 10 food businesses served with FSAI enforcement orders in June.
Closure orders issued under the FSAI Act were also served on Il Vicolo restaurant at Bridge Mills in Galway, All Bar Chicken in Coolock in Dublin, and Doolin Ice Cream’s food store in Co Clare, with rodent droppings among the reasons detailed for each premises. The orders have since been lifted.
FSAI chief executive Greg Dempsey said failures such as pest activity, poor hygiene and improper storage were “basic errors” that could have severe consequences to public health.
“Food safety isn’t optional, it’s essential,” he said.
“While we understand the daily pressures on businesses, food safety and hygiene standards must be maintained at all times.
“A robust food safety management system not only protects public health, but it also supports the long-term success of the food business.
“Noncompliance with food law is not tolerated and enforcement action will be taken where standards fall short.”
FSAI reports noted “pooling water from defrosting fish mixed with blood and raw meat on the floor of a walk-in chiller” at the Tunisian Halal Butcher in Finglas, Dublin, which was issued with a closure order. It was lifted on July 1.
Fresh Today in Trim, Co Meath, received a partial closure order over its decanting and repackaging of part-baked frozen bread and confectionery products posed hygiene and contamination risks.
Frenchpark Service Station in Co Roscommon was issued a partial closure order after an inspector found its food store room did “not permit good food hygiene practices, including protection against contamination and pest control”.
