More Closure Orders Issued on Food Business’s by the FSAI

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) issued 16 Closure Orders on Food Business’s in July 2015!!

A closure order is usually issued when an earlier Improvement Order is ignored or not acted upon. Alternatively a closure order may be issued if an inspecting officer feels that if food production in these premises continues in the same fashion it will result in immediate and/or grave danger to the health of the general population.
These closure orders can seriously damage a business financially as the business will remain closed until Food Safety Standards have reached a level which meets legal requirements and until the problem itself has been rectified.  The business whether it be involved in production or catering etc may also be negatively affected due to the fact that the FSAI publish online through their own website and Social Media the names of the business’s closed. This negative publicity can severely damage the reputation of the food business.

Under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act 1998, an authorised officer such as an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) has 4 options available to him or her should an inspection of a food premises not meet legal specifications.

1. Improvement Notice:  This notice is issued by an authorised officer if he/she feels that if a certain activity continues it may cause adverse health effects in the future. The officer will provide the food business with the details as to what is wrong and provide them with a time limit as to when it is to be resolved.
2. Improvement Order: This order is issued when an earlier Improvement Notice has not been adhered too or acted upon. The officer will apply to the District Court to enforce the order. The judge may add certain other requirements to the Improvement Order as she/he sees fit. A list of all Improvement Orders are published on the FSAI website and promoted on Social Media.
3. Closure Order: As aforementioned this order is implemented when an Improvement Order has not been adhered too or if the inspecting officer feels that this activity or practice is and will cause immediate and grave danger to the general public. These closure orders are again published online through the FSAI website and through social media.
4. Prohibition Order: This order is issued when an inspecting officer feels there is a serious risk to public health from a specific batch, product and/or item.  The Prohibition Order will prevent the product being sold or produced until it has be rendered fit for human consumption or destroyed. This order can refer to all or some of the activities within the food business.

All these orders will only be lifted if the harmful practice and/or activity identified by the inspecting officer is addressed. However as already mentioned the damage to future sales and your reputation may already be done.

We at Mary Daly & Associates are experts in Food Safety/HACCP and can provide a range of services to suit your needs and ensure that your business operates to the highest food safety standards.

Our detailed auditing service will identify areas of non-compliance, and our consultants are on hand to support and guide you in resolving these issues. This ensures that all issues are identified and resolved in advance of your next audit. Our certified training courseswill ensure that all staff are trained to the required level and are aware of the expectations of them, in terms of food safety. Our experienced consultants can create and maintain a bespoke food safety management system which will cover all the necessary documentation and record keeping required and act as a point of reference for all employees.

Please contact on 021 4355917 / 01 2091904 or visit this link to discover the services we offer and how Mary Daly & Associates can support you
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