A “significant” rodent infestation at a takeaway fish and chip shop in Co Dublin posed a “grave and immediate danger” to consumers, an inspection by the food and safety watchdog has found.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) issued Express Fish and Chips in Kill of the Grange, Monkstown, Co Dublin with a closure order for the entire premises on December 17th. The order was later lifted on December 21st.
In its inspector’s report, the FSAI identified a significant amount of rodent droppings throughout the waste and food storage room, as well as the carcass of an unknown, animal.
The inspector said the presence of rodents was a danger to public health, because they can transmit many harmful pathogens to foods and packaging through droppings and urine.
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Cockroaches
Separately, a closure order was also issued to DFC Take Away on Dorset street, in Dublin city with the inspector finding cockroaches and shortcomings in terms of hygiene and cleanliness.
In a letter to the business, the inspector said there were live cockroaches found in a cockroach bait trap in the premises, which has been a “persistent issue and concern” and pest control procedures were “not robust”. The closure order was issued on December 10th, and lifted four days later.
In total, the authority issued 59 enforcement orders on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation last year, an increase of 40 per cent compared to the previous year largely due to temporary lockdown closures of many businesses in 2020.
