The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has reported that five Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses during October for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the HSE and included two Closure Orders, which were served under the FSAI Act, 1998, two Closure Orders which were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020, and one Prohibition Order, which was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020.
Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in October include: cooking trays not washed after use and congealed with grease and charred food particles; mould growth visible on the internal surfaces of a milkshake blender with a foul odour detected when the lid was removed; the presence of undeclared allergens in food with a potential to cause a life threatening allergic reaction; no evidence of a food safety culture; a drinking water sample taken from the food business indicating contamination of the supply; large open containers of raw chicken left on various surfaces throughout the food premises at room temperature, permitting the growth of bacteria; no hand washing observed during the inspection; filthy premises with dirty cardboard used both as a food contact surface for cooked rice and on the flooring throughout the premises.
FSAI Chief Executive Dr Pamela Byrne said: "Food businesses must ensure there is a strong food safety culture in place, including adequate training for all staff. This simply must be a top priority for food businesses. Consumers have a right to safe food, and there is a personal responsibility for managers and all employees to comply with food safety legal requirements at all times. Neglecting food safety demonstrates disregard for the well-being of customers and also potentially places their health at an unnecessary risk. There can be zero tolerance for negligent practices that put consumers’ health at risk, and the full powers of food law will be used if a food business is found to be in breach.”
If you require Food Safety/HACCP training for your staff, a Food Safety/HACCP system specifically designed for your food business or Food Safety advice, please contact SafeHands by phone on 01-7979836 or mobile on 0873823223, email info@safehands.ie or visit our website https://www.safehands.ie.