BEWLEY’S CAFÉ in Dublin is among several businesses which received enforcement orders for breaching food safety regulations last month.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has confirmed it served 11 enforcement orders on food businesses across the country in January for breaches of food safety legislation.
The Bewley’s Café at 78/79 Grafton Street was ordered to shut down the use of its vacuum packing machine after inspectors found that raw fish was vacuum packed in the same machine where ready-to-eat foods were vacuum packed.
In its closure order to the owners, the HSE confirmed “the dual use of a vacuum packing machine for both raw and ready to eat foods presents a significant risk of ready to eat foods becoming contaminated with bacteria”.
They also noted that “there was no documented cleaning and disinfection procedure or a cleaning schedule in place specifically for the vacuum packer” and added “in the absence of cross contamination controls for vacuum packing, I concluded that there was a serious risk of ready-to-eat foods becoming contaminated with bacteria”.
The closure order was served on Bewley’s on January 8, 2025, and lifted on January 17, 2025.
Elsewhere last month an enforcement order was served on the restaurant at Lismore Golf Club in Waterford, where rat droppings were found in a kitchen cupboard next to a rat trap.
The closure order was subsequently lifted on January 30.
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, reiterated that the legal onus is on food businesses to ensure they fully comply with food safety legislation at all times.
"Food businesses have a fundamental legal responsibility to ensure the food they produce is safe to eat," she said.
“The enforcement orders served in January highlight unacceptable breaches of food safety legislation, including inadequate pest control, poor hygiene standards, and a lack of proper food traceability.
“These non-compliances pose a serious risk to consumer health and also undermine confidence in the food industry.
“It is essential that all food businesses implement and maintain a robust food safety management system to prevent such violations.
“The law is clear, food safety is not optional, and food businesses that fail to comply will face enforcement action."
See More: Bewley's Cafe, Dublin
