A small dead rodent in a bag of bananas; a bolt complete with nut and washer in meatballs; food contaminated with live and dead insects; a tooth; a false nail; pieces of metal; plastic rubber tubing; and a plaster.

Those were some of the 2,415 consumer complaints lodged with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in 2011, compared to 2,126 in 2010.

Other complaints ranged from suspected food poisoning, to poor hygiene standards, to food workers handling money and not washing their hands before handling food. All complaints received by the FSAI were individually followed up and investigated by environmental health officers throughout the country.

FSAI Information Manager Edel Conway said the increase in complaints is a positive indication of people’s heightened awareness of their right to expect high standards of hygiene and food safety.

Last year saw the FSAI launch its first digital communications campaign entitled ”See Something, Say Something!” which aimed to raise awareness among consumers of its advice line service.

Those were among the 82 Enforcement Orders served for breaches in food safety legislation in Ireland in 2011, up from 73 in 2010, a 12 per cent increase.

There were also two instances in 2011 whereby the breach of Closure Orders led to High Court action being taken by the FSAI. The High Court’s decisions to uphold the Closure Orders were welcomed and should serve as a warning that non-compliance with enforcement orders will not be tolerated.

The onus is on each individual food business to ensure that all staff handling and preparing food are uptodated on best safety and hygiene practices. If any food business operator is unsure of what is required of them by law, they can contact our advice-line on 1890 336677, visit our website, www.fsai.ie or our facebook page www.facebook/fsai.