The Food Safety Authority has ordered the closure of a childcare centre for breaches of food safety legislation.
The action was enforced on Teach Lisa creche in Newtowncunningham in November 2018.
The nursery kitchen was closed following a visit from a HSE officer.
The inspector found that no wash basin was provided for hand washing in the kitchen. The law states that an adequate number of washbasins must be available in the premises, suitably located and designated for cleaning hands.
The kitchen was also determined to have an inadequate layout and design to permit proper maintenance and cleaning.
The space was deemed not suitable to prevent air-borne contamination, to protect against the accumulation of dirt, the shedding of particles into food and the formation of condensation on surfaces and to protect against contamination in particular from pests.
The kitchen was also not pest proofed.
The closure order was enforced on Teach Lisa for three months from 12th November.
Nationally, 13 Closure Orders and 1 Prohibition Order were served on food businesses during the month of November. Some of the food safety breaches included rodent droppings in a shop and store, gnaw marks on bread packaging, cockroach infestations, filthy chopping boards and not declaring nut allergens on the menu.
One prosecution was taken by the HSE in relation to a Donegal business in November.
Cissie’s Farm Shop at Ardnawark, Barnesmore, Donegal Town was convicted of breaking the European Communities (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2006.
The retailer was convicted on the first count only – for the obstruction of an authorised officer.
Commenting today, Dr. Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI said that food businesses must operate strict food safety procedures at all times and that they need to be extra vigilant during this busy time of year.
Dr. Byrne said: “Fourteen Enforcement Orders in one month is an unacceptable number. The reasons for the Enforcement Orders having to be served are all easily preventable in the first place and food businesses should not allow their standards to slip.
“All food businesses must ensure that they adhere to a high standard of food safety and hygiene at all times. It is also imperative that a proper pest control system is in place and that this is checked very regularly in order to avoid infestations of rodents and insects.
“With the busy Christmas period upon us, food businesses must be especially vigilant to ensure compliance with the law. Special attention should be given to food safety training for both full and part-time staff to cope with any extra demand. The FSAI provides advice if food businesses are unsure what their legal obligations are at www.fsai.ie or the FSAI Advice Line, info@fsai.ie,” Dr. Byrne concluded.
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