Cork shop among seven businesses served with closure orders last month
Commenting on the closure orders served in November, Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, said that it is a legal requirement for all food businesses to have a robust food safety management system in place that also ensures a high level of pest control. Stock image.
Part of a Centra store in the Glanmire area was forced to close last month as it was one of seven businesses across the country served with a closure order from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in November.
Grandons Centra in Sallybrook was hit with the closure order on November 10 after the discovery of “evidence of rodent interference and damage to food and food packaging” in the first floor storeroom and “evidence of gaps and holes in walls” of the first floor storeroom.
The FSAI report said there was a “record of recent rodent activity” in the first floor storeroom in a pest control log but that instructions and advice of a pest control contractor was “not followed or actioned”.
“The evidence noted above presents a risk of contamination of foodstuffs by rodents and therefore a grave and immediate danger to public health,” it continued.
The FSAI ordered that the ground and first floor food and packaging stores be closed.
The closure order was lifted on December 6.
Three other closure orders were served under the FSAI Act of 1998 last month on businesses in Wexford, Dublin and Donegal.
In addition, three closure orders were served under European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on three businesses in Dublin.
The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive.
Commenting on the closure orders served in November, Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, said that it is a legal requirement for all food businesses to have a robust food safety management system in place that also ensures a high level of pest control.
“Environmental Health Officers are continuously finding incidents of rodent and pest infestations.
“This is a failure of a food safety management system, which is put in place to ensure food safety and hygiene.
“With the Christmas period already underway, food businesses must ensure they maintain high food safety standards at all times,” she said.
Dr Byrne said that the FSAI provides advice if food businesses are unsure what their legal obligations are at www.fsai.ie or the FSAI Advice Line, info@fsai.ie.
