Louth McDonald’s shut after FSAI find rodent droppings
By ArdeePost Reporter
McDonald’s restaurant in Drogheda found with rodent droppings among eight served closure orders
A McDonald’s restaurant in Drogheda, Co. Louth has been named among eight food businesses across Ireland that were issued closure orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in the past month.
The outlet, located at The Waterfront, Rathmullen Road, was served with an enforcement order after inspectors discovered rodent droppings on shelving and food equipment inside a side storage unit.
The same unit also contained PPE, cleaning equipment and paper rolls used by staff, creating what inspectors described as a serious risk of cross-contamination.
The closure order applied to the storage facility, not the main kitchen or dining area, but the findings have raised major concerns about hygiene standards at one of the county’s busiest fast-food restaurants.
Nine businesses sanctioned nationwide
The Drogheda McDonald’s was one of eight businesses to receive closure orders during the month, while a ninth, Chillers Restaurant and Lounge in Liffey Valley, Dublin, was served with a prohibition order.
The full list of businesses served with closure orders included:
- Bk Foods Limited (Wholesaler/Distributor), Clongorey, Newbridge, Kildare
- Paulista (Take Away), 121 Dorset Street Upper, Dublin 1
- Prime Pizza & Kebab (Take Away), 281 Hyde Road, Limerick
- Wau Asian Cuisine Limited (Restaurant/Café), Bridge Street, Trim, Meath
- Super Chef Takeaway, Unit 5, Ashbourne Court, Bridge Street, Ashbourne, Meath
- Burger Smash (Take Away), 4 Langford Street, Killorglin, Kerry
- Small Chops & More (Service Sector), The Courtyard, Baker Hall, Navan, Meath
- McDonald’s (Restaurant), The Waterfront, Rathmullen Road, Drogheda, Co. Louth
Of these, Prime Pizza & Kebab, Super Chef Takeaway, Burger Smash, and Paulista have since had their closure orders lifted after inspectors were satisfied that issues were addressed.
Alarming hygiene failures
Some of the breaches uncovered by inspectors were particularly severe.
At Paulista in Dublin, inspectors reported an active cockroach infestation, with live and dead cockroaches discovered in a hand-wash sink, a freezer where food was prepared, and even on a water tank. The basement floor was described as “greasy with congealed dirt and grease within the wall-to-floor junctions.”
In Ashbourne, Co. Meath, inspectors at Super Chef Takeaway observed hardened lumps of grease in food preparation areas, dirty hand-contact surfaces, and food being stored at incorrect temperatures.
FSAI: “Deeply disappointing”
Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive of the FSAI, said it was “deeply disappointing to see the same issues, such as poor hygiene and pest control problems, being identified each month.”
“Consumers deserve to have confidence in the food they eat. Where businesses fail to meet even the most basic hygiene standards, we will act swiftly to protect public health,” he said.
Closure orders are only imposed where there is an immediate risk to public health. Businesses may only reopen once inspectors confirm that conditions have been corrected.