A new Galway city takeaway was forced to close its doors temporarily in February after a visit from food safety officers found a number of breaches of EU food safety regulations.
SCRAN in Bohermore was one of eight businesses across the country closed by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in February.
The closure order was served on the business on 11 February after the FSAI found a range of potential hazards, including inadequate cleaning space and raw meat kept at high temperatures.
SCRAN’s registration in November said that the premises was a takeaway business, with the “preparation of sandwiches, scones and tea/coffee” taking place, but “no raw meat preparation”.
But when the FSAI visited the premises, raw chicken was being prepared, and raw marinated chicken was also found concealed in an oven which was not operational.
The temperature of the raw chicken was 9.7° Centigrade, and high risk vulnerable foods were also noted stored on the preparation table at high temperatures ranging from 10.9° to 11.6°.
The FSAI said that insufficient workspace was available for the preparation and storage of foods.
There was no intervening ventilated lobby between the staff water closet area and the food room. At the time of the inspection, a range of vulnerable foods were being stored in this area.
There was also no customer toilet provided for the use of patrons to the food business, nor was there a means to allow for the safe washing and sanitising of kitchen equipment and utensils.
The FSAI also found a large gap around the ducting of the ventilation pipe of the external wall of the kitchen.
This gap was not adequately rodent proofed and could have posed a risk of rodent activity within the premises, the FSAI said.
