Closure orders for three Laois food businesses

DISGUSTING conditions were uncovered at three Laois food premises when they were inspected by the HSE.

Rodent droppings were found at all three properties, which were served with closure orders following inspections.

A dead mouse was also found in front of a fridge in a gastropub, while a toilet bowl in a GAA club food outlet was covered in human excrement.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) announced today that closure orders were served last month on The Lunch Bag at Timahoe GAA club, The Thatch restaurant in Killenard and Summergrove House B&B in Mountmellick.

All three were found to pose ‘a grave and immediate danger to public health’.

The closures related to all areas connected with food business activities and remained in force until improvements could be carried out to the satisfaction of inspectors.

At The Lunch Bag in Timahoe, rodent droppings were found on surfaces that included stainless steel rims of food temperature control ovens, on food contact materials, inside cupboards and on shelving beneath the sink unit.

The toilet bowl in the bathroom used by food preparation staff had ‘an accumulation of human excrement’ and there were bird faeces on the wall, according to the inspection report. The closure order was issued to the company secretary on 23 September.

At The Thatch restaurant/café in Killenard, a dead mouse was found on the floor behind the main bar, directly in front of a fridge containing beverages. There were rodent droppings in the main bar, in the main kitchen and in the coffee bar, on shelving and food preparation surfaces and in equipment that included a saucepan and food containers.

The Thatch inspection report, published today, says that rodent droppings found in the main kitchen included droppings on a preparation surface ‘where grated cheese had recently been used in food preparation’. There were also rodent droppings ‘directly beside open foodstuffs’ on food preparation surfaces.

The report said that food safety conditions found at The Thatch caused 'a serious risk of food being contaminated with pathogenic bacteria likely to render the food unfit for human consumption, injurious to health or contaminated in such a way that would be unreasonable to expect it to be consumed in that state’. 

The Thatch restaurant closure order, which was issued on 17 September and lifted on 2 October, was served on SAM Catering and Hospitality Services Ltd.

The inspection at Summergrove House found rodent droppings on food preparation surfaces in the main kitchen, on shelving beneath the kitchen sink and in the walk-in food store.

The officer who inspected Summergrove House stated in the report that ‘a heavy accumulation of food debris and rodent droppings was observed’ on food surfaces in the main kitchen.

The Summergrove House closure relating to food preparation, dated 21 September, was served on James Speedy at the B&B, which is used primarily as a private dwelling. 

The food sections of the three Laois premises were among 12 food businesses served with closure orders in September, following inspections by HSE environmental health officers.

Commenting today, FSAI chief executive Greg Dempsey said: ‘The closure orders served in September once again highlight the importance of maintaining robust food safety and hygiene practices across all food businesses. Issues such as inadequate pest control, poor cleaning standards and unsafe food storage continue to be the main reasons for enforcement action. These are entirely preventable non-compliances when proper food safety management systems are in place.’ 

Details of the food businesses served with enforcement orders are published on the FSAI’s website at www.fsai.ie. Closure orders and improvement orders remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for three months, from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue.