Bay Area shoppers will have to get their food elsewhere after the grocery section of a Target store in San Jose closed due to a rat infestation.
The store, located near North Capitol Street and Mackey Road, was closed by health inspectors after rodent droppings and open bags of food were found in the store’s warehouse.
NBC Bay Area
Records show the store was ordered to close its food departments on Friday, May 29 due to “rodent droppings and chewed food packages found on shelves throughout the food warehouse,” according to the FDA. Santa Clara County Environmental Health Report.
She added: “The premises of every food facility must be maintained insect-free. The facility cannot operate if there is an insect infestation that leads to contamination of food contact surfaces, packaging, utensils, food equipment or food adulteration.”
Santa Clara environmental health officials told The Post that the inspection came after a complaint from the public.
The store remains closed as of this report on Tuesday. The county health report noted that the store’s food sections will remain closed until the matter is resolved, which includes passing another inspection by health officials.
“The facility has not requested a follow-up inspection. The facilities can reopen immediately after an inspection confirms the problem has been resolved,” officials said.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and team members is Target’s top priority, and we have temporarily halted food sales at our San Jose Capitol store to allow for cleaning and sanitizing, following reports of pest activity at this location,” Target said in a statement to NBC Bay Area.
“In addition, we are working with the local health department to ensure these concerns are addressed quickly.”
The statement added: “We apologize for any inconvenience and invite our guests to visit our nearby store at 1750 Story Rd for dietary needs. We appreciate the efforts of our team and partners to resolve this situation for our guests.”
The grocery department closure comes after another Bay Area Target store closed last week. On May 28, a Target store in San Jose on Blossom Hill Road was also closed due to a rodent problem, according to County records. It has since been reopened after another inspection, according to the report.
The California Post has reached out to Target for further comment.