Closure Orders served on two food premises due to public health concerns

TWO food premises were the subject of Closure Orders last month due to concerns over public health.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has confirmed the orders were served for breaches of food safety legislation - both were issued by Environmental Health Officers with the HSE.

In one case, the proprietor of a take away premises in Dublin, Xi'an Street Food, was ordered to stop cooking duck spring rolls.

In their inspection report, published this Wednesday, the EHO noted there was "a repeat failure to cook duck spring rolls thoroughly" at the premises which is located at 28 Anne Street South, Dublin 2.

The report adds: "During the inspection, it was observed that the core temperature of homemade duck spring rolls displayed uneven heat distribution, resulting in cool pockets in the core of the spring rolls as low as 36 degrees. Further investigation revealed that when the duck meat was probed, it registered at 56 degrees."

According to the FSAI, the proprietor was order to review their cooking procedures "to ensure consistent cooking
temperatures as per your critical cooking limit of 75 degrees".

The Closure Order, which was served on September 29 has since been lifted.

Separately, a butcher in County Tipperary was ordered to cease all activity relating to the production and processing of cooked and ready-to-eat food following an inspection on September 5.

According to the FSAI, Paul Tobin Butchers, which is located at 3 Abbey Road, Clonmel was previously advised about cleaning in HSE inspection reports dated in February 2023 and December 2020.

Last month's Closure Order was served after a "poor standard of cleanliness" was observed during an inspection.

The EHO inspection report states there was a "a significant build-up of food debris, spillages and engrained dirt were observed on the floor in the cooked/ready-to-eat foods preparation area."

An "accumulation of cobwebs" was also observed on the racking below the oven and "a significant build-up of food debris was observed beneath the blast chiller."

Dust and food debris were observed on top of the blast chiller and both the floor and skirting boards beneath the sinks in the equipment wash room were unclean.

The Closure Order, which did not apply to the sale of raw meats, has since been lifted.

Commenting, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI, said consumers have a right to safe food.

"Under food law, it is the legal responsibility of food businesses to ensure that the food they sell to the consumer is safe to eat. All food businesses must establish and regularly review a food safety management system to prevent instances of non-compliance and violations of food safety regulations such as these, which are only imposed when a significant risk to consumer health has been identified or when there are persistent, severe violations of food regulations,” she said.