The Food Safety Authority of Ireland served 12 closure orders and one prohibition order on food businesses last month for breaches of food safety legislation.

Enforcement orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive.

Five closure orders were served under the FSAI Act 1998.

The affected premises were: Blueberries "Pop Up" (restaurant), No 13 Lower Cork Street, Mitchelstown, Cork; Fade Street Social (restaurant), 4-6 Fade Street, Dublin 2; The Spice House (restaurant), 2 Church Street, Cavan; Nite Star (take away), Main Street, Glenties, Donegal; and Majas Virtue (food stall), Trading at Farmleigh Estate, Phoenix Park, Castleknock, Dublin 15.

Seven closure orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on: Chen's Chinese Take Away, Parnell Street, Mountmellick, Laois; Cashel Take Away Foodstall, Cashel, Achill, Mayo; The Jolly Roger (public house) (closed activity - food production, handling and storage), Sherkin Island, Skibbereen, Cork; Sandyford House (restaurant) (closed area: kitchen and food service areas only) Sandyford Village, Sandyford, Dublin 18; Azeem Meat and Grocery (butcher), 2 Pound Street, Edgeworthstown, Longford; Lucky Dragon (take away), 70 Fassaugh Avenue, Cabra, Dublin 7; and Craigs Fresh (wholesale), Drumnabratty, Raphoe, Donegal.

One prohibition order was served on Kearney's Restaurant, Main Street, Tallow, Waterford.

A closure order is served where it is deemed that there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises.

A prohibition order is issued if the activities (handling, processing, disposal, manufacturing, storage, distribution or selling food) involve or are likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product, class, batch or item of food. The effect is to prohibit the sale of the product, either temporarily or permanently.

During the month of July, a successful prosecution was carried out by the HSE on Dragon Inn Chinese Take Away (now under new ownership), 109 Newport Terrace, Barrack Street, Waterford.

Commenting on the number of Enforcement Orders served in July, FSAI Chief Executive Dr Pamela Byrne said: "There are simply no excuses for putting consumers' health at risk through sub-standard food hygiene practices.

"The summer months are busy months for food businesses and systems must be put in place to cope with the increase in customers."

Dr Byrne called on food businesses to seek information to ensure that they have the correct food safety management systems in place.