The prohibition order was served upon Sheahan’s Butchers of Church Street, Caherciveen, Co Kerry, due to the discovery of 12 crates of unlabelled beef and four crates of out-of-date beef in a walk-in cold room, and a walk-in freezer filled with unlabelled meat. The order was served on 19 January and lifted seven days later.

The prohibition order was served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010, which meant the premises remained open but the affected products were withdrawn from sale with immediate effect.

Another enforcement order served on a food business in January came in the form of a closure order on Earl’s Delicatessen in the School of Architecture in University College Dublin. The order was served on 25 January 2016 and was lifted two days later.

Commenting on the enforcement orders served in January, Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive, Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), stated that food businesses need to be vigilant at all times in relation to food safety to ensure full compliance with food legislation.

“Food businesses must recognise that the legal onus is on them to make sure that the food they sell or serve is safe to eat,” she said. “This requires ongoing compliance with food safety and hygiene standards. Food businesses should take full advantage of the information and support provided by the inspectorate and the FSAI.”

Prosecution

The HSE undertook a successful prosecution against another butcher, Jonathon Kerr of Millbridge Meats, Kilmacrennan, Co Donegal, last month. The case took place in Letterkenny District Court on 5 January 2016 and related to an inspection which took place on 31 March, 2015.

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HSE serves enforcement order on Co Kerry butcher

In January, the Health Service Executive (HSE) served a prohibition order on a butcher in Co Kerry. It also undertook a successful prosecution against a butcher in Co Donegal.