This year has proven the worst ever for food safety breaches, with a record 118 businesses receiving closure orders. These are only issued when there is deemed likely to be a “grave and immediate danger to public health”.

This year’s grim tally is up 30 per cent on the 2012 closure rate and there are now four times as many closures as there were in 2006.

However, in the vast majority of cases, the orders were lifted within days or weeks, showing that major structural changes were not required to comply with food safety requirements.

FSAI chief executive Prof Alan Reilly warned this month that health inspectors would continue to operate a zero-tolerance policy to food safety breaches, with extra vigilance needed during the busy Christmas period when increased volumes of food were being supplied.