A Chinese takeaway in Oranmore was among 12 premises around the country served with closure orders during October, according to figures released by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland this week.
HSE environmental health officers issued a closure order for Chinaman takeaway, located in Main Street in the village, under the FSAI Act 1998 last week.
The Oranmore premises was one of a total of 18 around the country to be served with an enforcement order last month. According to the FSAI October saw 12 closure orders and six prohibition orders, the highest number served in a single month for the past 10 years.
Prof Alan Reilly, chief executive of the FSAI, expressed his concern at the high level of non-compliance with food safety regulations by some food businesses identified in October.
“Every enforcement order is one too many and it is extremely disappointing that the numbers of food businesses on which orders needed to be served was so high in October,” he said. “There’s absolutely no justification for negligence in this area. The legal onus is on food businesses to act responsibly and ensure that the food they serve and sell is safe for consumption. This requires putting appropriate food safety management procedures in place and making sure they are adhered to at all times.”
Prof Reilly urged food businesses to take full advantage of the information and support provided by the inspectorate and the FSAI to ensure that they have the correct food safety management systems in place. If any food business operator is unsure of what is required of them by law, they can contact the FSAI advice line on 1890 336677 or visit its website www.fsai.ie or find it on Facebook.
