Dropping out! Teddy’s ice-cream forced to shut storage unit over evidence of rodents

WELL-KNOWN ice-cream shop Teddy’s was forced to close a storage unit in Dún Laoghaire, south Dublin, due to rodent activity, it has been confirmed.

The ice-cream shop operates several stores and ice-cream vans in that area.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has confirmed that the ice-cream store – established in Dún Laoghaire in 1950 – was forced to close its food and packaging unit at the side of the premises at the East Pier Battery in the town in July.

The FSAI noted rodent droppings were found in the area around the Teddy’s storage unit. It said because there was food kept in the area, it was open to contamination. In its report, the FSAI inspector noted that there was ‘grave and immediate danger to public health’.

‘The storage area was very poorly pest-proofed with numerous holes, gaps and defects noted in the structure allowing potential access to rodents,’ the closure report stated. ‘A grave and immediate danger to foodstuffs exists in the storage unit because rodents can transmit harmful pathogens to foodstuffs and food packaging through their droppings and urine.’

The closure order remains in place. In a statement last night, the family-run business said this unit was used for storage when the store shut during lockdown, and was never used to store food previously. It said the closure order does not impact any other stores.

It added: ‘The issues outlined are being dealt with and the unit will not be used in the future. As a family business, we are heartbroken there has been so much confusion as to the location of this storage unit and want to offer reassurance that this was not in an area that ever served or stored food.’ Teddy’s was one of five food outlets hit with closure orders due to FSAI reports last month.

Dr Pamela Byrne of the FSAI noted the closure notices for July identified a number of businesses that had ‘no adherence to basic food safety and hygiene practices’.

‘A food business was found transporting unrefrigerated meat and meat products in the boot and back seat of a car,’ she said, adding that ‘on another occasion, a wholesale business was operating in filthy conditions with unfit and out-of-date food’.