Local takeaway served with food safety closure order last month
A Tullamore takeaway was served with a closure order late last month for breaches of food safety legislation.
The closure order was issued to Alif Restaurant Limited, trading as Super Marios at High Street, Tullamore, on March 27 last. It was later lifted on April 3, when the issues that led to the closure were rectified.
The closure order for the Tullamore eatery was one of nine reported by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) during the month of March for breaches of food safety legislation.
Detailing the reasons behind the closure order, the report by the inspector representing the FSAI said there had been a “persistent and recurring failure to comply with the food safety legislation” and a “failure of the food business operator to effectively address non-compliances”.
It specifically referred to a “drain in the floor in the potato peeling/chipping area was overflowing with foul water at the time of inspection”.
In addition, the food worker who was solely responsible for operating the food business at the time of the inspection had “not completed or been provided with food hygiene training or instruction in food hygiene”.
The inspector also found that the “rear external door which opens directly into the potato peeling/chipping area was open at the time of inspection” allowing possible pest entry directly into a food preparation area,” while there was no pest screen on the external door.
Furthermore, the inspector pointed out that there was “no water supply to the cold tap at the wash hand basin” and the hot water was found to be “extremely hot” at 65 degrees.
The report also stated that “complete and accurate documented allergen information was not available” to consumers in the takeaway.
The closure order was lifted and Super Marios, based in High Street, Tullamore was cleared to reopen on April 3 last.
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said that breaches of food safety legislation pose a real danger to consumer health.
“March saw a high number of Enforcement Orders and some of the reasons listed demonstrate totally inadequate hygiene standards. “Consumers have a right to safe food and this legal obligation sits with the food business operators,” she said.
Enforcement Orders issued by the FSAI are published the FSAI’s website at www.fsai.ie
“These food businesses are damaging the reputation of the food industry as a whole and can impact the trust that consumers have in the food they eat."
Ms Byrne continued: “Environmental Health Officers, who inspect these food businesses, also continue to encounter cases where consumers’ health is put at risk particularly through a failure to comply with hygiene requirements, pest control and food safety training requirements, which is unacceptable.”
The FSAI also announced that it is hosting a ‘Breakfast Bite’ free webinar on April 25, which will look at food safety training requirements and will provide tips and ideas on how food businesses can meet their food safety training needs. To register for this free webinar, visit the FSAI website.