Annual figures issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has outlined that 106 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses for breaches in food safety legislation in 2016. This number equals the same amount for 2015.
Reportedly between 1st January and 31st December 2016, food inspectors served 94 Closure Orders, three Improvement Orders and nine Prohibition Orders on food businesses throughout Ireland.
In relation to last years Enforcement Orders, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI said, “Enforcements and most especially Closure Orders and Prohibition Orders are never served for minor food safety breaches. They are served on food businesses only when a serious risk to consumer health has been identified or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation and that largely tends to relate to serious and grave hygiene or other operational issues."
The FSAI placed emphasis on the reoccuring breaches in food safety, which lead to closures such as poor cleaning and sanitation of premises; poor personal hygiene; lack of running water; inadequate hand washing facilities; incorrect food storage; lack of or ineffective pest control programme; structural problems arising from lack of ongoing maintenance and; lack of or an inadequate food safety management system.
Dr Byrne continued, “There is no excuse for careless food safety practices. Food inspectors are encountering the same issues time and time again. The typical reasons why Enforcement Orders have to be served are easily avoidable. While the vast majority of food businesses are compliant with food safety legislation, we still continue to face negligent practices that are potentially putting consumer’s health at risk.”
Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website at Fsai.ie
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
