The minute he saw a mouse scurrying around mesh bags of almonds on the shelves at Loblaws Sunday, Kendall Collingridge knew he had to tell someone.
“It was in plain sight,” said the 28-year-old, a longtime customer of the Dupont and Christie streets supermarket. “There was a mouse turd right beside the package.”
His tip led city inspectors Monday to shut down the supermarket after they discovered an infestation of mice and rats, including droppings in food preparation areas.
The store remains closed today and health officials say they don’t know how long it will take for the company to comply with health and sanitation requirements.
“This isolated incident at this store was due to a combination of items, including recent store construction, cold weather and the breakdown of the pest control processes at the store,” said a statement released last night by Loblaw Companies Ltd., which owns Loblaws.
The Loblaws inspection report, obtained by the Toronto Star, details a dozen health issues requiring attention.
The company failed a reinspection Tuesday afternoon and hadn’t requested another as of last night.
