A high staff turnover is a problem facing all businesses in the present economic climate but is no excuse for bad practices in food outlets, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland chief executive, Dr Patrick Wall.
At the presentation of the annual National Hygiene Awards in Dublin, Dr Wall said many food businesses had become victims of their own success by outgrowing their premises and the capacity of their staff to cope.
O'Hara's Bakery of Foxford, Co Mayo, and Scally's supermarket of Clonakilty, Co Cork, were declared joint winners of the supreme award in the scheme run by Excellence Ireland and the FSAI in association with Domestos. Category winners included: Wheatfield Prison; McDonald's restaurant, Shop Street, Galway; Carton Brothers Poultry Processing, Co Cavan; Dunn's Seafare, Dublin; and Campbell Catering in Swords, Co Dublin. Other award winners included: Ennis Foods, Killygordan, Co Donegal; Glanbia Meats, Clara, Co Offaly; Torc Great Southern Hotel, Killarney; and Nenagh water treatment plant in Co Tipperary. Despite the evident high standard of the catering industry there are increasing incidents of food poisoning in Ireland with 1,000 salmonella cases and 2,000 of campylobacter reported in 1999, according to Dr Wall.