Thurles Information

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that ten Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses during the month of April 2025, for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Two Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• Greenville Deli (Restaurant/Café), 45 Monkstown Avenue, Monkstown, Co. Dublin.
• Sirmone Limited T/A Soul Bakery and TPB, Unit L5, Ballymount Industrial Estate, Dublin 12.

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

• Barne Lodge (Restaurant/Café), Rathkeevan, Clonmel, Tipperary.
• The City Arms Gastro Bar/ Bistro (Closed area: The food storage and preparation area: preparation, cooking and service of food) (Public House), 50 High Street, Waterford.
• Tasty (Take Away), The Square Dromcollogher, Charleville, Limerick.
• Namaste Indian Cuisine, 88/89 King Street North, Smithfield, Dublin 7.
• Bojon Spices (all the activities of the business, establishments, holdings or other premises be ceased and the internet sites or social media sites it operates or employs be ceased) (Restaurant/Café), Summerhill Road, Dunboyne, Meath.
• Rio Latte Bar (Restaurant/Café), Unit 7, Park Shopping Centre, Prussia Street, Dublin 7.

Two Improvement Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• Sancta Maria Nursing Home, Parke, Kinnegad, Meath
• Sligo Spice (Retailer), McGlynns Terrace, 1 Lower Pearse Road, Sligo

Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in April include:
no documentation of pest control checks; multiple mouse droppings throughout the premises, including in a cupboard, under a sink and wash hand basin used for storing cleaning equipment; flies observed in the kitchen with no fly screen in place; failure by staff to demonstrate any knowledge of food safety management procedures; inadequate and uncalibrated equipment used to monitor temperatures; lack of evidence to support use-by dates on defrosted food; lack of cleaning and disinfection; no hot water or designated hand wash basin in the food preparation area; a heavily stained kitchen, with visible dirt and grease on cooking equipment and stainless steel surfaces; customer toilets and urinals that had not been cleaned; an outdoor sink unit positioned over an open drainage gully, posing a contamination risk.

Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, warned that there is an obligation for food businesses to act responsibly and ensure the food they provide to their customers is safe to eat.

“Food businesses owe it to their customers that the food they are selling is safe to eat. Not only is it the right thing to do, it’s also a legal requirement under food law. Consumers have a right to trust that the food they buy is safe to eat and that it complies with all relevant food safety legislation. The findings that led to these Enforcement Orders highlight an unacceptable disregard for basic food safety and hygiene practices. These are preventable issues, and there are simply no excuses for failing to comply with the law. Food businesses must remain vigilant, ensuring regular checks, effective pest control, and thoroughly cleaned well-maintained premises to protect their customers’ health and uphold consumer trust in the food chain.”

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.

FSAI warn of undeclared wheat in batch of Brady Family Master Butcher Edition 7 Day Dry Aged Glazed Ham.

Alert Summary dated Friday, May 2nd 2025.

Allergy Alert Notification: 2025.A17
Allergen: Cereals containing gluten.
Product Identification: Brady Family Master Butcher Edition 7 Day Dry Aged Glazed Ham; pack size: 120g; approval number: IE 2313 EC.
Batch Code: 132277; use by date: 16/05/2025
Country Of Origin: Ireland

Message: The above batch of Brady Family Master Butcher Edition 7 Day Dry Aged Glazed Ham was mispacked with crumbed ham. The implicated batch contains cereals containing gluten (wheat) which is not mentioned on the label. This may make the batch unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of cereals containing gluten (wheat) and therefore, these consumers should not eat the implicated batch.
The affected batch is being recalled.

FSAI Remind Food Businesses to Comply with Food Safety Practices for Chilled & Frozen Coated Poultry Products.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is reminding food businesses, including manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers to ensure that robust food safety management systems are in place for the production and supply of chilled and frozen coated poultry products placed on the Irish market. It is further directing manufacturers to ensure that chilled and frozen coated poultry products include appropriate cooking instructions and are clearly labelled as non-ready-to-eat.

The FSAI is also recommending that consumers undertake the following actions when preparing chilled and frozen coated poultry products:

• Cook thoroughly: Always follow the cooking instructions on the packaging and ensure that the food is cooked thoroughly, the internal temperature at the core of the food (this is the thickest part of the food) must be 75°C or higher.
• Practice good hygiene: Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling raw poultry and clean all food contact surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water after use.
• Store safely: Keep products at the appropriate temperature as indicated on the label.

This reminder and advice follows findings from a national microbiological survey*, conducted in 2022, of 382 chilled and frozen coated poultry products, which detected the presence of Salmonella Infantis in five products placed on the Irish market. The bacterium was detected in chicken goujons, fillets, and balls, including raw, partially cooked, and fully pre-cooked items. Food safety risk management actions were taken to reduce the risk presented to consumer health.

Salmonella is a bacterium that poses a significant health risk if products are not cooked or handled properly. It is among the leading global causes of foodborne illnesses. As the survey findings indicated that imported poultry was a possible cause of contamination, the FSAI is reiterating to manufacturers that they must ensure stringent controls across the entire food supply chain. This includes full traceability of all raw materials used in the production of chilled and frozen coated poultry products and that they must comply with the legal microbiological requirements associated with using raw poultry to make these products. Consumers are also strongly advised to ensure that all food safety practices are strictly followed when preparing and cooking non-ready-to-eat, chilled and frozen coated poultry products, to minimise the risk of contamination.Commenting on the findings of the survey, Mr Greg Dempsey, (Chief Executive, FSAI), highlighted the critical role of strict food safety controls and providing clear guidelines to consumers by the manufacturers. He stated: “The survey findings emphasise the importance of manufacturers and food businesses adhering to and fulfilling their legal food safety responsibilities. It is incumbent upon those sourcing and providing these products to have the requisite checks and balances in place to minimise the risk of contamination and possible threat to consumer health. While the prevalence of Salmonella contamination stands at 1.3% of the overall sample size, it remains the case that all food businesses and manufacturers must continue to be vigilant, follow best practice at all times and safeguard each point along the food chain.
Manufacturers must ensure that they provide clear guidelines to consumers on the food label. We are aware from previous research findings that many consumers do not strictly follow cooking guidelines or maintain proper hygiene practices when handling chilled and frozen coated poultry products. Consumers have an important role to play and they need to follow the cooking instructions on the food label, wash their hands before and after handling these products and also store them at the correct temperature. These frozen and chilled coated poultry products can often be raw products and the same food safety practices should be applied in the context of handling, cooking, and storing them as we do with a raw chicken fillet or raw whole chicken, for example,” concluded Mr Dempsey.

*From 2018 to 2020, a multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections was caused by the consumption of frozen breaded poultry products in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK) (ECDC-EFSA, 2021).
On the basis of this outbreak, a national microbiological survey was undertaken by the FSAI, in conjunction with the National Environmental Health Service and official food microbiology laboratories of the HSE, to gain a better understanding of the microbiological quality of chilled and frozen coated poultry meat preparations and poultry meat products intended to be eaten cooked. 
Between 5 September and 28 November 2022, 382 samples were collected by Environmental Health Officers of the HSE for this national microbiological survey from wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and caterers from the food service sector. Samples were taken from retail (247), wholesale and distribution (20) and food services (32).

View Microbiological Survey of Chilled and Frozen Coated Chicken HERE.