Westport Chinese restaurant told to close

Chinese closure order lifted


Áine Ryan

A WESTPORT Chinese Restaurant was served recently with a closure order, on health and safety grounds, by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Mr Chang Fu Gao, of the Orient Aroma Restaurant on Bridge Street was served with the order on November 16. It was lifted five days later, on November 21.  Three similar closure orders throughout the country were also served and later lifted during last month. The FSAI serves closure orders ‘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’.
According to the FSAI’s Director, Dr Bernard Hegarty, the general reason for closure orders is when an inspector judges there is ‘danger to public health, or significant non-compliance with food legislation’. 
The Chief Executive of the FSAI, Professor Alan Reilly said that food businesses must be particularly vigilant of their hygiene standards during the busy Christmas period
He said: “Particular attention should be paid to food storage and refrigeration facilities, as stockpiling for the festive season can mean that a premises is holding a higher quantity of perishable foods than at any other time of the year.”