According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), 92 enforcement orders were served on Irish food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation in 2023. This is an increase of 19% from the 77 that were served in 2022.
Announcing the figures on 11 January, the FSAI expressed disappointment at the increase and has reminded food businesses to train staff appropriately to produce, serve and sell food in accordance with food safety legislation.
This is to ensure that premises are fully suitable for safe food production and storage.
Mostly closures
Between 1 January and 31 December 2023, 76 closure orders, three improvement orders and 13 prohibition orders were served on food businesses, with a total of six prosecutions also taken.
These enforcement actions were led by environmental health officers in the HSE, local authority veterinary inspectors, sea-fisheries protection officers in the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority and officers of the FSAI.
Some of the issues identified in these food businesses included inadequate food storage with the risk of contamination, a lack of pest control procedures (such as monitoring and pest proofing), inadequate temperature control in food storage, preparation and distribution and insufficient staff training in food safety, personal hygiene and record keeping.
Disappointing
Commenting on the annual figures, FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said she had hoped to see a reduction in the number of enforcement orders needing to be served in 2023. Disappointingly, this was not the case.
“As a result of the inspections carried out by environmental health officers, local authority veterinary inspectors, sea-fisheries protection officers and FSAI officers, a total of 92 food businesses were served with legal orders for breaches of food safety law in 2023.
"While each of these enforcement orders was necessary for the protection of consumer health in relation to food safety, we should not be seeing such breaches of food law occurring in food businesses at all.
“Enforcement orders are served on food businesses only when a risk to consumer health has been identified or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation.
"It is a legal obligation for food businesses to ensure that they are proactive in adhering to food safety regulations. Each month, food safety inspectors find similar, basic and fundamental breaches of food law, which are unacceptable.
"As we enter 2024, we urge food businesses to always prioritise and promote a culture of food safety in their businesses.”
Four last month
The FSAI also reported that four closure orders and one prohibition order were served on food businesses during the month of December 2023 for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.
Two closure orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
Sausage Paradise (butcher shop), Pound Street, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon.Padoca (restaurant/café), 64 Capel Street, Dublin 1.And an additional two closure orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:
Duck (restaurant/café), 15 Fade Street, Dublin 2.Golden Phoenix Chinese Restaurant, Main Street, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.Finally, one prohibition order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
The Arch Bar, Main Street, Swords, Co Dublin.Cross contamination issues, cockroach infestation and flies are among the reasons for these closures.
Under the FSAI Act 1998, a closure order is served where it is deemed that there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises; or where an improvement order is not complied with.
Closure orders can refer to the immediate closure of all or part of the food premises or all or some of its activities. Alternately, an improvement order may be issued by the district court if an improvement notice is not complied with within a defined period.
An improvement notice is served when it is deemed that any activity involving the handling, preparation, etc, of food or the condition of a premises (or part thereof) is of such a nature that if it persists it will or is likely to pose a risk to public health.
A prohibition order is issued if the activities (handling, processing, disposal, manufacturing, storage, distribution or selling food) involve or are likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product, class, batch or item of food. The effect is to prohibit the sale of the product, either temporarily or permanently.
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According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), 92 enforcement orders were served on Irish food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation in 2023. This is an increase of 19% from the 77 that were served in 2022.
Announcing the figures on 11 January, the FSAI expressed disappointment at the increase and has reminded food businesses to train staff appropriately to produce, serve and sell food in accordance with food safety legislation.
This is to ensure that premises are fully suitable for safe food production and storage.
Mostly closures
Between 1 January and 31 December 2023, 76 closure orders, three improvement orders and 13 prohibition orders were served on food businesses, with a total of six prosecutions also taken.
These enforcement actions were led by environmental health officers in the HSE, local authority veterinary inspectors, sea-fisheries protection officers in the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority and officers of the FSAI.
Some of the issues identified in these food businesses included inadequate food storage with the risk of contamination, a lack of pest control procedures (such as monitoring and pest proofing), inadequate temperature control in food storage, preparation and distribution and insufficient staff training in food safety, personal hygiene and record keeping.
Disappointing
Commenting on the annual figures, FSAI chief executive Dr Pamela Byrne said she had hoped to see a reduction in the number of enforcement orders needing to be served in 2023. Disappointingly, this was not the case.
“As a result of the inspections carried out by environmental health officers, local authority veterinary inspectors, sea-fisheries protection officers and FSAI officers, a total of 92 food businesses were served with legal orders for breaches of food safety law in 2023.
"While each of these enforcement orders was necessary for the protection of consumer health in relation to food safety, we should not be seeing such breaches of food law occurring in food businesses at all.
“Enforcement orders are served on food businesses only when a risk to consumer health has been identified or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation.
"It is a legal obligation for food businesses to ensure that they are proactive in adhering to food safety regulations. Each month, food safety inspectors find similar, basic and fundamental breaches of food law, which are unacceptable.
"As we enter 2024, we urge food businesses to always prioritise and promote a culture of food safety in their businesses.”
Four last month
The FSAI also reported that four closure orders and one prohibition order were served on food businesses during the month of December 2023 for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.
Two closure orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
Sausage Paradise (butcher shop), Pound Street, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon.Padoca (restaurant/café), 64 Capel Street, Dublin 1.And an additional two closure orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:
Duck (restaurant/café), 15 Fade Street, Dublin 2.Golden Phoenix Chinese Restaurant, Main Street, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.Finally, one prohibition order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
The Arch Bar, Main Street, Swords, Co Dublin.Cross contamination issues, cockroach infestation and flies are among the reasons for these closures.
Under the FSAI Act 1998, a closure order is served where it is deemed that there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises; or where an improvement order is not complied with.
Closure orders can refer to the immediate closure of all or part of the food premises or all or some of its activities. Alternately, an improvement order may be issued by the district court if an improvement notice is not complied with within a defined period.
An improvement notice is served when it is deemed that any activity involving the handling, preparation, etc, of food or the condition of a premises (or part thereof) is of such a nature that if it persists it will or is likely to pose a risk to public health.
A prohibition order is issued if the activities (handling, processing, disposal, manufacturing, storage, distribution or selling food) involve or are likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product, class, batch or item of food. The effect is to prohibit the sale of the product, either temporarily or permanently.
Read more
Recall issued for batch of Lidl deluxe Irish carved peppered turkey breast
42t of product ‘unfit for human consumption’ disposed of by cheese plant
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