Overflowing human waste in Offaly shop among businesses issued closure orders by FSAI

Michael Bolton

A Co Offaly shop and takeaway with human waste overflowing from a manhole in a staff toilet was among 13 businesses issued with closure orders last month.

At the Village Shop & Takeaway in Mountbolus, the waste was overflowing into a room storing food contact equipment adjacent to a food preparation area.

The Food Safety Authority (FSAI) said it provided a "direct opportunity for pathogenic bacteria likely present in human waste to contaminate food or food preparation areas, rendering it unsafe".

There was 11 closure orders were issued to businesses by the FSAI, while two prohibition orders were also issued.

A closure order was issued to the Diwali Restaurant on South Great Georges Street in Dublin after a significant cockroach infestation throughout the kitchen food preparation areas was found.

Inspectors said they found cockroaches present at all stages of their life cycle, while multiple dead cockroaches were also found in the kitchen.

A closure order was also issued to the Babylon restaurant in Tipperary, where a dead rodent was found behind equipment in close proximity to food products in an upstairs kitchen.

At a mobile food unit called Canteen Street Food in Damastown Park on the Damastown Road in Parslickstown, Dublin 15, inspectors found there no means of carrying out effective cleaning.

As a result, surfaces and equipment were in a dirty condition.

Other businesses which closed under the FSAI act 1998 include the India Dining Restaurantand Cáfe at, Prospect House, Church Street, Wicklow, and Roots food stall trading at Salthill & Monkstown Dart Station.

Five Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

Chicken Club (Take Away), 1 The Square, Listowel, Kerry

Sheela Palace (Restaurant/Café), Ballyowen Shopping Centre, Castle Road, Lucan, County Dublin

Deli Gold - Grill House (Restaurant/Café), 3b Hyde Court, Townsend Street, Dublin 2

Elm Tree Farm Food Stall, trading at Clonmel Show (Retailer/Other), Powerstown Park Racecourse, Clonmel, Tipperary

Sushimi (Closed activity: The preparation and sale of Sushi in the shared kitchen on the first floor of 62 Mary Street, Dublin) (Restaurant/Café), 62 Mary Street, Dublin 1

One Prohibition Order was served under FSAI Act 1998 on:

Ocras (Foods of Non-Animal Origin Processing) Unit H West Cork Business & Technology Park, Clonakilty, Cork

One Prohibition Order was served under European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

Rebel Ice Cream (Wholesaler/Distributor-Other), Unit 4 Cherrywood Business Park, Harbour Point, Little Island, Cork

Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, said:“The issues identified in these Enforcement Orders are deeply concerning and demonstrate serious failures in basic food safety controls.

"We continue to see cases where essential requirements, including effective cleaning, pest control, safe food handling practices, staff training and food safety management systems, are not being properly implemented.

"These are not optional measures; they are legal requirements that every food business must have in place to protect consumers.

"Where businesses fail to meet these fundamental standards and public health is at risk, enforcement action will continue to be taken.”