A live cockroach infestation, a dead rat and unidentified meat being sold were among the reasons for the 10 closure orders served on Irish food businesses in the month of March.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) revealed that 11 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses last month for breaches of food safety legislation.
This included 10 closure orders for businesses located in Dublin, Louth, Laois and Meath and one prohibition order for a business in the capital.
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The FSAI revealed that some of the reasons that enforcement orders were served on the businesses in March were for a "live cockroach infestation" in a kitchen, a dead rat spotted in a food and packaging store and rodent droppings in another store.
One food business was found to be operating from a barber shop with no facilities for maintaining hygiene and protecting food, there was an unregistered food business, as well as one premises with a lack of information and traceability regarding frozen fish heads, while another was selling cow skin and another, "unidentifiable meat."
The FSAI said one business had no running water, one was contaminating ready-to-eat food with raw meat while another had "insufficient protection of foodstuffs from contact with toxic materials."
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, reminded food business owners that maintaining a clean premises that is fit for purpose, managing pest control, properly labelling produce and providing traceability information are also legal and mandatory requirements for all food businesses.
"Consumers have a right to safe food and the food business owner is legally responsible for ensuring that the food they produce is safe to eat," Dr Byrne added.
"All food businesses must follow food safety regulations and there are no exceptions."
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