An Indian restaurant in Co Donegal was served a food closure order last month after a pond of human excrement was found in an area where staff were preparing food.

An overflowing manhole had resulted in the pond of human excrement gathering beside a shed where the potato peeler was stored at Saffron restaurant and takeaway in Creeslough.

A report from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said “human excrement was overflowing and ponding in an area beside the shed in which the potato peeler was located due to an overflowing manhole”.

It goes on to say staff “would be standing in the excrement” while using the potato peeler and thereby “carrying it into the food premises on their shoes”.

The report also found “dirt, mould and encrusted food” on windows, in sinks and on floors and doors throughout the premesis, while “food storage containers in the fridge were covered with black mould”.

The closure order was lifted on October 27th. A closure order is served where there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health.

Two takeaways in Co Cork were served closure orders due to the presence of rat and mice droppings.

A live mouse was found by inspectors in Chick Chicken in Cobh, as well as rodent dropping throughout the presmesis.

Meanwhile, “prolific evidence of rodent droppings” was found in the kitchen of Chinese restaurant Beijing Taste Buffet in Cork city, as well as an “open, unsealed waste pipe”.

A pizzeria in Ballina, Co Tipperary was also closed for four days in October due to a “poor standard of hygiene and cleanliness”.

Shelving areas in the kitchen of New York Pizza were found to be “black with dirt,” while “dripping grease” was found “running down the outside of the canopy”.

These breaches are detailed in the latest list of closure orders issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) over the month of October.

All of the above closure orders have since been lifted.