The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
THE Food Safety Authority of Ireland served a closure order on the kitchen area of the Burren Atlantic Hotel in Ballyvaughan, after a number of issues were found there.
Contraventions of food safety were discovered at the hotel which, according to the FSAI, “could result in a serious risk to contamination of foodstuffs giving rise to a grave and immediate danger to public health”.
A letter sent to the company from the FSAI stated, “Foodstuffs likely to support the reproduction of pathogenic micro-organisms were recorded at temperatures that might result in a risk to public health.”
It also said that small flying insects had been noted in flour drums.
The letter sent on July 23 claimed there had been a “failure to maintain the premises in a clean and hygienic condition”.
It listed a number of issues, claiming that surface areas had been covered in food scraps and debris, which had also been noted on the floors. Internal fridges had been caked in food grime, while congealed grease was encrusted around cooking equipment. Wet and dirty clothes were said to be strewn around the kitchen, while there had been an accumulation of food, dirty plates, cooking utensils and equipment at the wash up area and sinks.
Open bags of refuse were stored in the corridor of the kitchen leading to the dining area, while the handles of fridge units were grimy to touch and the area surrounding the chest freezer was blackened with dirt and debris.
The letter said that poor handling practises had been observed during the inspection and a lack of understanding of food safety requirements could lead to cross contamination. It found that the contraventions “could result in a serious risk to contamination of foodstuffs giving rise to a grave and immediate danger to public health.”
Owen Ryan
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked for a number of other regional titles in Limerick, Galway and Cork.
