Toronto Public Health has shut down the Loblaws store on Dupont Street near Christie Street after mice were spotted inside.

The department issued the order at about 10 p.m. Monday night.

Inspectors went to the scene after a customer complained about seeing a mouse.

"They observed live mice in the store as they carried out the inspection," the department's Jim Chan told reporters on Tuesday, adding, "It's hard to count the number of them because they're all running around."

Inspectors found rodent droppings and possible urine on food counters, he said.

The store has numerous types of ready-to-eat foods, including a deli counter and hot foods such as barbecued chicken, he said.

"Food being prepared in such an unsanitary condition (will) increase the risk of cross-contamination of food," he said.

Some other problems noted in the inspection report include:

  • inadequate food temperature control
  • improper storage and removal of waste
  • inadequate pest control
  • inadequate handwashing by staff
  • failure to produce valid food-handler certificates

Chan said many of those were related to the rodent infestation itself. "Infestation and sanitation go hand-in-hand," he said.

Loblaws staff have reportedly worked overnight to clean up the problems.

Chan said inspectors will carry out a follow-up inspection late this afternoon to see if "all the health hazards they identified yesterday have been eliminated. The store will not be allowed to re-open until all health hazard items have been eliminated."

Pest infestations can develop quite quickly, possibly as few as two weeks, he said.

Inspections of large food stores generally take place three times per year, Chan said.

Customers worried about the safety of food products they purchased from the store should know the risk of contamination is low for prepackaged foods. "However, look for damage on the package. If there's any damage on the package, it means the rodent might have gotten inside the package," he said.

Such products should be returned to the store, he said.

Consumers shouldn't eat foods such as chicken or deli meats and cheeses, Chan said.

Loblaws responds

In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Loblaws said the store would remain closed until further notice.

It suggested this event was an isolated occurrence.

"The Dupont Loblaws store was last inspected in September 2008 and received a green pass notice. No food safety violations were noted at that time. Public Health has stated that the store has an excellent record of food safety and the last 10 inspections have been in compliance," it said.

"We encourage any of our customers who have any health concerns about the products they have purchased at this location, please contact www.toronto.ca/health or  416-338-7600," Loblaws said.

"Additional questions about products and our refund policy can be directed to Loblaw customer service at 1-800-296-2332 or customer_service@loblaw.ca."