Mouse droppings at Kerry food outlet among reasons for closures

Four outlets have been issued with closure orders after breaches of food safety legislation were discovered during HSE inspections last month, including the presence of mouse droppings and “filthy chopping boards”.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said that as well as the four closure orders, two improvement orders and two prohibition orders were served on food businesses during the month of February.

The closure orders were served on Red Chilli, Main Street, Maynooth, Co Kildare; Apache Pizza & Curry House, Unit 2 Johnstown Road, Enfield, Co Meath; Mr Kebab, Greenfields, Firies, Co Kerry; and Bite Time, Main Street, Lixnaw, Co Kerry.

A closure order is served where it is deemed that there is or is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises; or where an improvement order is not complied with.

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Closure orders can refer to the immediate closure of all or part of the food premises, or all or some of its activities.

In Bite Time, food safety inspectors issued the closure order after discovering grease was congealed onto the wheels of a chicken machine along with the legs of cooking equipment.

The pest control bait boxes were found to be in “a filthy condition”, particularly underneath the double sink and behind the chicken machine.

Grease was dripping onto the bait boxes on the floor and one was submerged in oil behind the chicken machine.

The floor in the press where the hot tank was located was dirty and mouse droppings were observed. The inspectors concluded that the failure to maintain the premises in a hygienic condition “may pose a risk of contamination”.

Improvement orders were served on Mapas Tapas, Newry Street, Market Square, Carlingford, Co Louth; and on Bombay Bistro, 55 Main Street, Upper Rush, Co Dublin. Bombay Bistro is under new ownership since February 13th.

Prohibition orders were served on the Friendly Meat Shop, Oldtown Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal; and on Miss Fit Enterprises, Unit 14, Block P Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co Dublin.

Dead flies

Other reasons for the enforcement orders in February included raw burgers stored adjacent to cooked chicken; dead flies in the light covers; accumulations of food debris beneath and behind fridges; and waste stored beneath a service counter in an open bin.

FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said it was "not acceptable" that consumers' or food workers' health be compromised by inadequate food safety practices in any food business.

“The legal responsibility for producing safe food lies firmly with food businesses,” she said.

“What we are seeing is an obvious lack of training of staff, which ultimately leads to poor hygiene practices, creating favourable conditions for pests and insects and potentially putting consumers’ health at risk.

“Food businesses run the risk of making their customers sick and ruining their reputation by neglecting basic food-safety and hygiene standards.”