Dublin City Council canteen part of seven closure orders issued by Food Safety Authority

Kenneth Fox

The canteen of the Dublin City Council building is part of seven closure orders issued in November by the Food Safety Authority (FSA).

Four of the closure orders were served under FSAI Act, 1998 and three including the Dulin City Council canteen were served under European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.

Some of the reasons for the closure orders in November included: procedures not being in place to deal with pests gaining entry to the premises and a dead mouse being found in a trap underneath shelving used for storing food and equipment.

Other reasons included pest proofing issues such as holes and gaps permitting pests to gain access; evidence of current rodent activity in the kitchen area and counter service; no washbasin designated for the washing of hands was available, and food handlers observed not washing their hands during inspection.

Brambles Deli Café (Under appeal), Operating at Wells House and Garden Wells, Gorey, Co Wexford, Pizza Max, 64 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, Grandons Centra Sallybrook, Glanmire, Cork and the Waterfront Diner, Dundee St Johnston, Donegal were the four closure orders served in the FSAI Act.

Meanwhile, the three closure orders served under European Union Regulations, 2020 were Chef Thai & Chinese Takeaway, Unit 4, Coolmine Industrial Estate, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Civic Offices Canteen, Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 8 (DCC canteen) and the Wasabi Sushi Bar (Immediate cessation of the preparation and sale of sushi and sashimi), Unit 5, Strand Centre, Strand Road, Portmarnock, County Dublin

Speaking about the closure orders served in November, Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, said 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.

"Consumers have a right to safe food and all food businesses have a legal obligation to ensure that the food they are processing, serving or selling is safe to eat.

"With the Christmas period already underway, food businesses must ensure they maintain high food safety standards at all times."