Cork supermarket closed twice last month due to rodent activity

A busy supermarket on the northside of Cork city was closed twice last month because of “a grave and immediate threat to public health”, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has said.

On two occasions in September, evidence of pest activity was found at Singleton’s SuperValu in Hollyhill, according to enforcement documents published on Tuesday morning by the FSAI.

Singleton’s SuperValu Hollyhill is owned by Crimdale Developments Limited, which is currently in receivership.

The first of the two closure orders was issued against Crimdale by the FSAI through the HSE on Thursday, September 4, an order which was subsequently lifted on Saturday, September 6.

Subsequently, on Monday, September 29, the FSAI issued a further closure order against Crimdale, and that order was later lifted a week later on Monday, October 6.

The supermarket is currently open for business.

On the September 4 closure order, evidence of pest activity was noted in the deli area, with “rodent dropping was noted underneath the bakery unit/hot counter” and holes or gaps were noted at the back of the hot counter.

“Adequate procedures were not in place to control pests,” the closure order found. This was evidenced, the report said, by a “lack of action in a timely manner to carry out remedial works on foot of pest control”.

The report concluded that “due to evidence noted above, there is or is likely to be a grave and immediate threat to public health.

“The above conditions lead to a serious risk of food being contaminated with pathogenic bacteria likely to render the food unfit for human consumption, injurious to health or contaminated in such a way that it would be unreasonable to expect it to be consumed in that state.” 

In the September 29 closure order, “evidence of pest activity was noted under and behind the ‘special offer refrigeration unit’ on the shop floor. Holes/gaps were noted on the cavity wall behind the sweet shelf on the shop floor.” 

The second closure order repeats the language of the first, stating that “there is or is likely to be a grave and immediate threat to public health”.

STATEMENT

At the time of the initial, September 4 closure, a spokesperson for Musgrave, which owns the SuperValu franchise, told The Echo: “We can confirm that SuperValu Hollyhill is currently closed to allow essential maintenance works to take place.

When queried on the reason for that closure, the spokesperson said: “SuperValu Hollyhill was temporarily closed to allow for essential maintenance works following the identification of a pest control issue.

“Immediate action was taken to resolve this matter, including engaging external contractors, and the store fully reopened on Saturday, September 6, and is continuing to trade as normal.

“The health and safety of customers and staff at Supervalu Hollyhill is and remains our top priority.” 

Asked for a comment at the time of the second closure order, a spokesperson for Musgrave said the company did not wish to comment.

Following the publication of the details of the closure orders, Musgrave has again been asked for comment.