A Lidl supermarket in Co Dublin was among ten premises issued with closure orders by the Food Safety Authority last month, where inspectors observed rodent droppings in multiple locations.
Lidl on the Sallynoggin Road in Glenageary was issued with a food closure order after a “grave and immediate danger to food safety” was found by inspectors last month.
Rodent droppings were found to be evident on the shop floor behind a food display unit, to the side of a freezer and in a store room, leading to the store’s temporary closure.
A Lidl spokesperson said the company was made aware of the presence of a rodent in its Glenageary store last month and “immediately closed the premises”.
“We take food safety issues extremely seriously and have fully collaborated with the HSE and together with a professional pest control service provider taken necessary steps including a full pest control inspection, deep cleaning and full sanitation of the store and pest proofing to manage this issue.
“The HSE have since reinspected the store and approved it to reopen,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added: “We would like to reassure our customers we have conducted a full internal review of our processes to ensure cleanliness and food safety remain our utmost priority.”
Elsewhere, the kitchen areas of the Brandon Hotel on Prince’s Street in Tralee, Co Kerry, and a storage unit in Emerald Park in Ashbourne, Co Meath, were also issued with closure orders.
At the Brandon Hotel, inspectors said there was evidence of a “significant cockroach infestation at all stages of the life cycle from nymph to adult throughout the food premises”.
As a result, all kitchen areas including the dry goods store, washup areas, staff canteen, restaurant and stills area were closed.
At Emerald Park, a storage unit at the rear of ‘Coffee Dock’ was closed after it was found that “adequate procedures were not in place to control pests”.
Rodent droppings were found in the storage unit which was used to store food such as candy floss and food contact materials like reusable cups and lids.
A closure order under the FSAI Act was also issued for Creed’s Foodstore in Burncourt, Cahir, Co Tipperary.
While six closure orders were issued with either full or partial closure orders under EU regulations including Londis Athboy in Co Meath, KRS Catering Stall in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Hidden Dojo Asian Street Food in Phibsborough, Dublin 7, Wakami Sushi & Asian in Phibsborough and Costa Coffee on Dawson Street in Dublin 2.
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Director of Enforcement and Policy of the FSAI Dr Bernard Heraghty said that it was “relatively unusual” to see such high-profile closures issued for food safety.
Speaking on RTÉ News at One, Dr Heraghty said: “It’s important that all businesses remember they are legally obliged to ensure the food they sell is safe, that the conditions in their premises are hygienic and that their staff are trained.”
Dr Heraghty added that some of the closure orders related to pest and temperature control, and that most of the premises that had been served closure orders had now been reopened.
“A business can be reopened once they have corrected matters, and they can reapply to the HSE to be re-inspected so that the inspector can verify that the matters are rectified and then the closure order can be lifted,” he said.
“But the orders stay in place as long as it’s necessary,” he added.
Chief Executive of the FSAI Greg Dempsey said the recent foodborne incidents serve as a “stark reminder” of the need for food businesses to “maintain the highest food safety standards”.
“The enforcement orders issued this month reflect serious, preventable breaches of food safety law. Every food business must take its responsibility to comply with food safety law seriously,” he added.
