Food safety breaches rise 17% with 34 closures - authority

THERE WAS a 17 per cent increase in food safety breaches by shops and restaurants last year, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

Some 34 businesses were ordered to close for a period because of breaches of food safety legislation, the same number as in 2008.

Thirteen businesses were ordered to stop selling certain foodstuffs because of a risk to food safety, more than double the six prohibition orders issued in 2008. The number of improvement orders issued also rose, from six to seven.

In total, 54 enforcement orders of various kinds were issued by environmental health inspectors, up from 46 the previous year.

The authority said it was unacceptable that some businesses were continuing to breach food safety laws and warned all food business operators to place robust food safety measures and hygiene practices at the top of their agenda for the new decade.

FSAI chief executive Dr Alan Reilly said the figures were disappointing. “The same recurring, but easily preventable, faults continue to contribute to the closure of food businesses and this must be addressed by food business operators.”

Last month, one closure order was served on Ben Super Food Store, Phibsborough Road, in Dublin 7, and one improvement order was served on Murrays Foodstore and Post Office, Dromina, Charleville, Cork.

The following food businesses were successfully prosecuted: Spar, Pearse Square, Ballyphehane, Cork; East Ocean Restaurant, Main Street, Charleville, Cork; The New Leaf Restaurant, 1-2 High Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24; and Giovanni Take-Away, Main Street, Oranmore, Galway.