Eight Enforcement Orders Served in January, Says FSAI

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland issued eight enforcement orders to food businesses during January. Seven Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order were served for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010.Prof. Alan Reilly, Chief Executive, FSAI expressed his disappointment at the ongoing need to have to serve such a high number of Closure Orders on food businesses and warned that the legal onus is on food businesses to act responsibly and ensure that the food they serve and sell is safe for consumption.He stated that consumers have a right to feel confident in the safety of the food they eat and that every Closure Order undermines that confidence, with negative implications not only for the premises involved, but the wider industry.“While most food businesses follow high standards and are compliant with food safety legislation, we continue to encounter cases where consumers’ health is jeopardised through a failure to comply with food safety and hygiene requirements. These breaches are completely avoidable when food businesses have proper food safety management systems in place,” says Reilly.