The kitchen and staff canteen at the Wee Care crèche, located on RTÉ’s Donnybrook campus, was one of four establishments hit with closure orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) last month after inspectors found a “significant” presence of rodent droppings, posing a “grave and immediate threat to food safety”, reports RTE.
According to the FSAI, numerous rodent droppings were discovered in the kitchen area, particularly behind and beneath two refrigerators, a freezer, and an oven.
Inspectors noted that the facility lacked “adequate procedures” to effectively manage pest control on the premises, reports RTE.
“A grave and immediate danger to food safety exists in the food premises due to rodent activity,” the FSAI report stated.
RTÉ, in response, said it has “no day-to-day role in the operation of the crèche” based on its Donnybrook site, reports RTE.
TheLiberal.ie won’t quit
Please support us with a small donation on PayPal!
“RTÉ leases the premises to a third party, Wee Care who operate the crèche facilities. RTÉ cannot comment on the cleaning request or process which was requested by Wee Care and carried out by RTÉ’s cleaning contractors,” the broadcaster said in a statement, reports RTE.
Other closure orders issued under the FSAI Act included Il Vicolo restaurant at Bridge Mills in Galway, All Bar Chicken in Coolock, Dublin, and Doolin Ice Cream’s food premises in County Clare.
In a report outlining further enforcement actions taken during June, the FSAI said inspectors found rodent droppings in a box storing smoothie cup lids, as well as evidence of inadequate and inconsistent cleaning. In one instance, water from defrosting fish, mixed with blood and raw meat, was found pooling on the floor of a walk-in chiller, reports RTE.
FSAI Chief Executive Greg Dempsey called issues like pest activity and poor hygiene “basic errors” that could severely impact public health.
“Food safety isn’t optional, it’s essential,” he said, reports RTE.
“While we understand the daily pressures on businesses, food safety and hygiene standards must be maintained at all times. A robust food safety management system not only protects public health, but it also supports the long-term success of the food business. Non-compliance with food law is not tolerated and enforcement action will be taken where standards fall short,” reports RTE.
Other businesses given full or partial closure orders under EU food regulations include the Tunisian Halal Butcher in Finglas, Dublin; Frenchpark Service Station in Roscommon; and Fresh Today in Trim, County Meath.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
