127 enforcement orders issued in 2025 including for pest infestations and illegal trading

Kenneth Fox

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said 127 enforcement orders were served on food businesses for breaches of food safety legislation in 2025 for issues like pest infestations and illegal trading.

Compared to 2024, that is a decrease of 4.5 per cent as 132 were issued last year.

Between January 1st and December 31st 2025, 102 Closure Orders, 23 prohibition orders, and 2 improvement orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive, sea-fisheries protection officers in the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, and by officers of the FSAI on food businesses throughout the country.

Commenting on the annual figures, Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, said:

“While the total number of Enforcement Orders in 2025 decreased slightly compared to 2024, it is disappointing that we continue to see enforcement action being necessary due to fundamental breaches, such as pest infestations, poor hygiene, unsafe storage of food, inadequate staff training and the absence of food safety management systems.

"We also found instances of unregistered food businesses operating illegally without notifying the competent authority, therefore bypassing essential food safety controls and putting consumers' health at risk.”

The FSAI also reported that eight closure orders and one prohibition order were served on food businesses during the month of December 2025 for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.

The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive and officers of the FSAI.

One Closure Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998, on:

• Crosfield (Wholesaler/ Distributor), Unit 4 Bymac Centre, Northwest Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15

Seven Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 202,0 on:

• Taha Butchers (Closed area: the food and food equipment storage facility at the rear of the premises), 13 Railway Street, Navan, Meath
• Ruby's Cakes (Manufacturer), Durhamstown Castle, Bohermeen, Navan, Meath;
• EB Food Essentials, Unregistered establishment trading at Coolanagh, Ballickmoyler, Laois;
• Quack N Wok (Takeaway), Unit 3A, Gandon House, Custom House Square I.F.S.C, Mayor Street Lower, Dublin 1;
• Sasaki Sushi (Service Sector), 3 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7;
• Centra (Closed area: Deli area), Main Street, Killenaule, Tipperary.

Unregistered premises trading as Selera Space, at an apartment at Sandyford Central, Sandyford Business Park, Dublin 18.

One prohibition order was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020, on:

• Dublin Herbalists (Food Supplements), Carrick Street, Mullinahone, Tipperary.

Some of the reasons for the closure orders in December include: failure to notify the competent authority of the establishment of a food business; active mouse infestation evidenced by droppings throughout food storage and preparation areas.

Defective drainage and sewage systems, with foul water leaking and backing up from sanitary facilities and contaminating kitchen floors and food preparation surfaces where ready-to-eat foods were handled; unsuitable and unhygienic food and equipment storage facilities.

Extremely poor hygiene standards, including heavily contaminated food contact surfaces, equipment and utensils; a lack of effective cleaning and disinfection procedures.

Absence of a food safety management system based on HACCP principles; unsafe food transport practices, including the use of an unrefrigerated vehicle for transporting meat with no controls in place to maintain the cold food chain.

Commenting on the December 2025 figures, Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, added:

“Two of the seven closure orders in December were for businesses where they had failed to notify the competent authority of the establishment of a food business.

"It is unacceptable that some food businesses are choosing to operate outside of the law.

"All food business owners, big or small, whether trading from a business premises, in the home, from a mobile unit, food truck and/or online, must be aware of food hygiene and food safety legislation.

"Maintaining high food safety standards protects consumers and supports the long-term success of businesses, and enforcement action is taken where necessary to ensure compliance."