Food safety closure orders served on two Letterkenny businesses

Two premises in Letterkenny have been slapped with closure orders.

Payless Grocery & Meat on Port Road and Chicking at O'Boyce's Corner were both served with closure orders.

These were among 21 orders reported by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

The HSE found that adequate procedures were not in place at Payless Grocery & Meat to prevent rodents from gaining access to the premises.

“Evidence of rodent activity was noted on inspection of the premises and as noted in your pest control reports on 15/4/24 and on 17/4/24,” a letter to the company stated.

“There is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health as rodents can transmit harmful pathogens through their droppings and urine creating a serious risk to foodstuffs and rendering the food unfit for human consumption.”

This was one of 15 closure orders served under the FSAI Act, 1998.

A closure order on Chicking was one of six served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.

They were found to have a “persistent and recurring failure to comply with the food safety legislation.”

“Drainage facilities were not adequate and were not designed and constructed to avoid the risk of contamination,” a report said.

“The drainage to the equipment wash-up sink, the vegetable sink, the food sink and the dishwasher were overflowing foul water into a bucket at the time of the inspection.”

The report added that the layout and design of the premises “does not provide adequate working space to allow for the hygienic performance and cooking of high-risk foodstuffs associated with the off-site catering business.

“The existing food premises on the ground floor is too small and the partly constructed food premises on the 1st floor is not suitable for any additional off-site catering business.”

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that the high number of closure orders needing to be served in April is alarming.

Dr Byrne said: “Twenty one Closure Orders served in one month is the highest number since November 2019, when the same number were also issued.

“Food businesses must ensure that their food business is properly pest proofed, and that they take effective action if there is a pest infestation. E

“Consumers have a right to safe food and food safety must always be a top priority for food businesses. There are no excuses. Food safety is a legal requirement for all food businesses.”