Eddie Rockets at the Point Village in the Dublin quays was among seven food businesses served with closure orders last month after rodent droppings were found in the kitchen.

The restaurant closed for five days at the end of March after a HSE inspector noted "multiple fresh rodent droppings in multiple areas throughout the kitchen," including the wash up area, and in the area where cleaning equipment is stored.

The inspector also noted a report from the restaurant's own pest controller less than a week before the closure order was served confirming rodent activity in the kitchen.

"Open ready to eat foods such as salads, dips and sauces were present in the kitchen which rodents in the kitchen were likely to have had contact with," the inspector wrote.

"Food, food preparation surfaces, food contact equipment and food packaging which rodents have come into contact with is likely to be contaminated with harmful pathogens such as Salmonella spp. which rodents carry on their paws and excrete in their urine and faeces.

"This renders the food produced in these conditions likely to be unsafe and thus poses a grave and immediate risk to public health."

Eddie Rockets was unable to provide evidence of adequate HACCP procedures, and staff were not familiar with the contents of any food safety management procedure.

The inspector added that the premises was not clean, and there were no adequate pest control procedures in place.

"The food premises was not clean. The floors were not clean with rodent faeces present in multiple locations to the extent that food prepared in these conditions is likely to be contaminated with dirt containing pathogenic bacteria," they wrote.

"Food contact equipment in the kitchen was not clean. Chopping boards used for ready to eat food, stainless steel food trays used to store food in and handheld equipment such as a whisk were not clean, to the extent that food prepared using this equipment is likely to be contaminated with dirt containing pathogenic bacteria.

"There were accumulations of grease and food detritus behind and underneath equipment in the kitchen," they added. The closure order was lifted on 31 March.

China Palace, a Chinese restaurant on Main Street in Roscommon, was ordered to close from 26 March to 1 April after a HSE inspector found a dead rat in a trap behind a washing machine.

Stela Foods, a wholesaler in Drogheda, has been closed since 19 March, after live and dead mice were seen on the warehouse floor, on equipment and in an office.

Six days earlier, on 13 March, the food store building at the company's location in Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, was also ordered to close due to rodent droppings and a dead mouse being found behind a chest freezer.

Closure orders were also served to the Yomari Foods takeaway in Boyle, Co. Roscommon, due to inadequate external drains being blocked with "foul waste water and food debris," and PY Fast Food, a Moore Street food stall, due to a lack of refrigerated units for meat storage.

Limerick takeaway Republic of Grill was also closed for several days due to a lack of water supply, wash hand basins, sanitiser, pest control, and a poor standard of cleaning.

Finally, retailer Baltic Market of Dominic Street in Drogheda was taken to court by the HSE and served with a €1,000 fine. The HSE was awarded costs of €3,485.

“In many of the Closure Orders issued this month, there was a clear absence of the most basic food safety procedures, alongside high levels of pest activity and poor hygiene standards," said Greg Dempsey, CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

"Staff working in food businesses must be trained and/or supervised so that they can carry out their work in line with food safety requirements. It is essential that all food businesses implement and maintain a robust food safety management system to prevent such violations.

"There can be no excuse for putting consumers’ health at risk through negligent practices and failing to comply with the legal requirements. Food businesses have a legal responsibility to ensure the food they sell or serve is safe to eat."

Photo: Eddie Rockets at Point Village in Dublin 1. (Pic: Google Maps)