‘Filthy’ Kilkenny takeaway shut down by food safety chiefs

By COLIN BARTLEY

A TAKEAWAY in county Kilkenny, shut down for being ‘filthy’ posed an unacceptable risk to the public a damning report published today found.

An inspection by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) found no evidence of a food safety management system and found a lack of adequate facilities, cleaning, storage conditions, staff training, documented procedures, and record-keeping.

Fresh Bite on Green Street in Callan was shut down with immediate effect after an inspection on July 22 and remains closed.

The report said, “this resulted in unhygienic and unsafe practices which may lead to contamination of foodstuffs giving rise to an unacceptable risk to consumer safety.”

The inspector found a build-up of food waste and food residues on the walls and floors underneath and behind equipment. The shelving in the refrigerators had mould growing on it while the cooking equipment, refrigerators, and work surfaces were covered in grease and food residue.

The toilet bowls for the patrons and staff were ‘filthy’ as were the hand sinks. The floor and walls of the food store were ‘filthy’ with ‘dirt’ and ‘cobwebs’.

The inspector noted, “the only mop and bucket used for cleaning the premises was stored in the rear yard at the time of inspection.” They said the rear yard was full of waste.

“There was no evidence available that staff were trained in basic food hygiene,” the Inspector said. “When questioned, staff members failed to demonstrate basic knowledge or competency in key food safety issues.

“Foods were being washed in the wash-up sink. There was no hand-washing facilities in the food preparation area. Separate work surfaces/areas were not provided for the preparation of raw meats, vegetables, cooked meats.

“There was an accumulation of waste and miscellaneous items such as a mattress, empty oil drums, and barrels of waste oil in the rear yard of the premises at the time of inspection. There was a large quantity of grease at the base of the waste bins. This area had not been cleaned for an extended period of time.

“There was no traceability of products within the premises. Decanted foods were not labelled with traceability information. Cooked foods were not date labelled, making it impossible to ascertain when they were cooked.”

KilkennyNow.ie tried to make contact with the owners but was unable. The takeaway remains closed at this time.