Twelve food operators were issued with closure orders by the food safety watchdog last month, with active cockroach and rat infestations, decomposing mice and inadequate procedures for the cooking, cooling and reheating of high-risk foods including sushi among the reasons cited by inspectors.
A pizza restaurant in Rathgar, a smoothie bar and cafe in the Swan Centre in Rathmines and a Centra in Cavan were among the establishments issued with temporary closure orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Pizza Petito on Orwell Road in Dublin 6 was closed on September 23rd after inspectors noted “an active infestation of rats” on the premises “and in particular in the kitchen area”.
Rodent droppings were found along the wall on both sides of the kitchen and underneath a food refrigeration unit and inspectors noted that the “kitchen was trading at the time of inspection with one customer seated, eating a freshly cooked pizza. The droppings were noted to be spread widely across the kitchen”.
As of Thursday morning, the closure order had not been lifted.
An active cockroach infestation was observed in The Hopsack cafe @ Swan Leisure in the Swan Leisure Centre in Rathmines on September 10th with “all stages of the cockroach lifestyle from nymph to adult” found.
During the inspection, dead cockroaches were found under the food service area where ready-to-eat food juices were prepared and served and on the floor in the food preparation services area. A live cockroach was also seen under the food service area.
The order was lifted on September 24th.
An active cockroach infestation was also seen by inspectors who visited Banadir on Talbot St in Dublin 1, with a closure order imposed on September 16th before being lifted 12 days later.
On September 30th, Furlong’s Bar and Lounge and Nellie’s Takeaway in Curracloe, Co Wexford, was found to have “inadequate procedures to control pests as evidenced by the presence of mice droppings behind the two chest freezers in the kitchen [and] two dead mice observed behind the drinks shelving unit in the food storage room off the bar ... which were at different stages of decomposition”.
The order was lifted on October 7th.
An inspection of the pest control company records for the Centra in Ardlo Manor, Mullagh, Co Cavan, on September 22nd “noted that there has been ongoing issues with rat activity and that remedial actions in relation to pest proofing has not been completed to date. The pest control company have stated on their visit this morning that there is evidence of ongoing moderate pest activity on the shop floor.”
The order was lifted six days later.
On September 9th, J2 Sushi in Swords was found not to have the correct procedures in place for the storage, preparation, production and offering for sale of sushi and sashimi. “The operator could not demonstrate that the food safety hazards associated with these products had been identified and were subject to effective controls, monitoring, corrective action and verification,” inspectors wrote.
They added “adequate procedures were not in place for the cooking, cooling and reheating of high-risk foods, including chicken. The operator could not demonstrate that these processes were consistently controlled by monitoring, corrective action, verification and records.”
The order was lifted the following day.
The chief executive of the FSAI, Greg Dempsey, said the closure orders “once again highlight the importance of maintaining robust food safety and hygiene practices”.
He said issues such as inadequate pest control, poor cleaning standards and unsafe food storage were “entirely preventable”.