Food wholesaler close to Mayo border closed after mouse dropping discovered

ROSCOMMON business close to the Mayo border has been closed by the Food Safety Authority after mouse droppings were discovered.

Houda Foods, a food wholesaler and distributor operating at Unit 5, Ballinlough Business Park, Ballinlough, Co Roscommon was issued with a closure order by Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) for breaches of food safety legislation.

The business which is located in west Roscommon, 10km from Ballyhaunis was issued with the order on May 27 after breaching a number of conditions of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, including failing to put adequate procedures in place to control pests.

An officer with the HSE who inspected the premises stated that mouse droppings were visible on the floor in the warehouse where food is stored.

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The inspection also found that the layout, design and construction of the food premises 'does not permit good food hygiene practices including protection against contamination and in particular, pest control'.

“Food is stored in a warehouse that is shared with another non-food business. There is no physical separation between the businesses in the warehouse,” the report read.

The FSAI also found that food which had been placed on the market was not adequately labelled or identified to facilitate its traceability through relevant documentation or information.

“There was no labelling or traceability information for food such as green olives, red pepper paste, dried fruits, nuts etc. There was no supplier traceability such as invoices, delivery dockets or receipts,” the report stated.

The FSAI also served a prohibition order on Houda Foods which prohibits the sale or distribution of all food products stored on pallets, shelving, tables, the floor and elsewhere within the Ballinalough premises.

Houda Foods was one of ten businesses in Ireland which were served with closure orders on food businesses throughout Ireland during the month of May.

Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, warned that every food business must be registered with a competent authority and that all food businesses have a legal obligation to ensure the food they sell is safe to eat.

“The high number of Enforcement Orders in May is disappointing, especially as the type of non-compliances, such as unclean premises and pest infestations, are all preventable where the business has a food safety management system in place and staff are properly trained.

“Additionally, while the vast majority of food businesses comply with their legal requirement to register their business prior to operating, unfortunately, some choose to operate without the knowledge or supervision of the competent authorities, potentially exposing consumers to unsafe or fraudulent food. These businesses will be pursued using the legal powers available to us,” said Mr Dempsey.