Woolworths-owned Countdown store in Dunnedin, NZ forced to close due to rat infestation
A Woolworths store in New Zealand has been forced to close after a pair of rats were spotted casually off the shelves in the deli section.
The Countdown store in the South Island town of Dunnedin suffered a rat infestation, forcing the store to close last week.
Local media reported that more than a dozen rats had been captured in less than 72 hours after the rodents were spotted among the store’s wrapped meats while eyeing customers.
The incident forced the store to close as authorities launched a major investigation.
This pair of rats was spotted on the shelves of the Woolworths Countdown store in the New Zealand town of Dunnedin
In a separate incident, a Chinese tourist captured video of a mouse crawling around a bowl of potato salad at another Countdown store in the South Island city of Christchurch.
The Chinese tourist posted the video on social media and said staff were aware but they accidentally let the mouse escape, according to an English translation.
Even more shocking, the tourist said the staff did not stop selling the salad and continued to greet customers.
New Zealand Food Safety has launched a review of Woolworths’ pest control processes in its New Zealand stores.
According to a report from Stuff.co.nz, 19 rats have been trapped in the Dunnedin store since it was forced to close.
This is what a spokesperson for Woolworths New Zealand said Yahoo News as of Thursday, only one had been captured in the past 24 hours.
“Having a safe and hygienic store is incredibly important to us and we have agreed with New Zealand Food Safety that we will keep the store closed until there has been a 48-hour period with no catches in the store,” the spokesperson said.
Woolworths also apologized to customers for the disturbing episode.
“We would like to thank our customers and the community for their understanding as we continue to tackle the rodent problem at Countdown Dunedin South,” the spokesperson said.
“We would like to apologize for the inconvenience and inconvenience this matter is causing our community. We continue to work closely with New Zealand Food Safety and Renotokil, and will provide regular updates as necessary.”
This image of a mouse crawling on a bowl of potato salad was taken by a shocked Chinese tourist at a Woolworths store in Christchurch
Local media reported that the rat infestation in Dunedin South was reported to New Zealand Food Safety on both January 5 and 11, but the store failed to adequately escalate its efforts to resolve the problem.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Countdown for comment.
The Countdown brand is owned by Woolworths and is New Zealand’s largest supermarket chain with more than 160 stores.
In November, an employee at an Australian Coles distribution center shared shocking photos of rats running across floors and products.
The employee made the squeamish discovery at the Coles Forest Lakes distribution center in Heathwood, south-west Brisbane.
The former picker and packer, who worked at the factory for six years, said there was a good chance rat feces could be in products that could be on supermarket shelves.
The shocking photos showed vermin scurrying across the warehouse floor, some of them chewing through packets of toilet roll.
The Countdown brand is owned by Woolworths and is New Zealand’s largest supermarket chain