10 enforcement notices served on food businesses in September

Ottoline Spearman

The Food Safety Authority served five closure orders and five prohibition orders on food businesses in September for breaches of food safety legislation.

In one case, a rat was observed on the premises, with rat droppings present on the floors and shelving where food was stored.

In other cases, food was offered that was past its sell-by date; staff were not trained on food safety controls; and there was no soap or hot water at basins.

The majority of notices were issued to businesses in Dublin, with others served Cork, Donegal, Tipperary, Meath, and Kildare.

Businesses that have been forced to close as a result of the notices, under the FSAI Act 1998, are:

• SuperValu Hollyhill (Retailer), Hollyhill Shopping Centre, Hollyhill, Co Cork;
• Wok In Noodle Bar in Dublin; Restaurant Café), 48-50 Stephen Street Lower, Dublin 2;
• SuperValu Hollyhill (Retailer), Hollyhill Shopping Centre, Hollyhill, Co Cork.

Two Closure Orders were also served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020 on:

• New Leaf (Closed activities: the preparation and sale of sushi and sashimi) (Take Away), 18 New Street, Skerries, Co Dublin;
• The MOMO House (ceased trading on 10/10/2025) (Take Away), East Ocean, 61 Port Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.

Five businesses were also issued with prohibition orders.

Two Prohibition Orders were served under the FSAI Act 1998 on:

• Food Business trading as Vitalorganico and website vitalorganico.ie, operating at the domestic dwelling house (Wholesaler/Distributor), Castleknock, Co Dublin;
• Duud (Retailer), Pinewood House, Huntstown Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.

Three Prohibition Orders were served under European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020 on:

• Nearby Cashel (Retailer), 3 Main Street, Cashel, Co Tipperary;
• XL Convenience Store (Retailer), Main Street, Drumconrath, Navan, Co Meath;
• BK Foods Limited (Wholesaler/Distributor), Clongorey, Newbridge, Co Kildare.

Under the FSAI Act, a closure order is served where it is deemed that there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises; or where an improvement order is not complied with.

A prohibition order is issued if the activities (handling, processing, disposal, manufacturing, storage, distribution or selling food) involve or are likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product, class, batch, or item of food. The effect is to prohibit the sale of the product, either temporarily or permanently.

Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority Ireland (FSAI), said: “It’s concerning that we continue to see serious and recurring breaches of food safety law.

"These types of breaches are preventable where food businesses have a proper robust food safety management system in place and ensure staff are adequately trained."