The number of food businesses served with enforcement orders fell by 16 per cent last year but the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has expressed concern that the number of premises served with closure orders did not fall.
Some 27 closure orders were served on food businesses last year because they posed a danger to public health.
Overall, 36 enforcement orders were served on premises for breaches of food safety laws last year, compared with 43 in 2005.
Six improvement orders and three prohibition orders were served on food businesses, compared with four improvement orders and 12 prohibition orders in 2005.
Prohibition orders ban the sale of a product either temporarily or permanently. Improvement orders are issued by the District Court if an improvement notice is not complied with within a certain time. An improvement notice is served if it is thought that a food-related activity is likely to pose a risk to public health.
Yesterday, the food safety authority warned that it and other enforcement agencies would be implementing a "rigorous inspection policy" this year to ensure full compliance with safety laws.
Dr John O'Brien, the authority's chief executive, said it was clear that work still needed to be done by the industry to reduce the number of closure orders served each month. "It is important to stress that closure orders are only served by enforcement officers when standards have fallen very low and the public's health has been put in danger.
"The same recurring, but easily preventable faults, continue to contribute to the closure of food businesses and this must be addressed by the industry."
