SPEEDWAY — The Kroger in Speedway was given the clear to reopen Friday by the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD).
Inspections began last week after complaints over rodent activity in the store.
According to MCPHD, inspectors found mouse droppings in three of the store aisles, as well as in the bakery and deli.
The MCPHD held a reinspection on Friday before giving the all clear.
They released this statement:
After a recheck by MCPHD Food and Consumer Safety this morning (4/20) of the Kroger at 5718 Crawfordsville Road in Speedway, the bakery and deli areas remain closed for at least another day. The other areas of the store that were closed/restricted following the initial inspection have been approved to reopen. So, the store is still under restriction, but only for the bakery and deli as of this morning.
Health department officials say the store has regular pest control checks scheduled for every two or three days moving forward to deal with the issue.
A Kroger spokesperson made the following statement on the incident:
We’re disappointed by the report, however our team acted quickly, deep cleaning the areas noted by the inspectors. Our team also did a further evaluation to ensure all areas meet our high standards. We’re ready and awaiting the opportunity to schedule a reinspection as soon as possible.
According to MCPHD, people should look for the following when shopping:
- Cleanliness of shelving, floors and overall facility, especially if it appears that the area(s) have not been cleaned in a while
- Temperatures not as expected, such as items in a cooler that are not cold to the touch and items in a hot holding unit that are not hot
- Freshness/packaging intact — if food products appear discolored or packing is compromised (seal broken, holes in packaging, chew marks)
- Odors that are not expected
- Evidence of pests (frass, droppings)
MCPHD says routine inspections are conducted at all establishments that hold Retail Food Licenses. How often they are inspected depends on the level of risk in their food handling.
Routine inspections can occur from one to three times per year. Inspections also occur in response to consumer complaints.
Because a routine is just a snapshot of the conditions, it is important for consumers to report if they observe something of concern.
Issues or violations found are followed up with recheck inspections. Citations and license suspensions may be used to address major issues.
To look up food establishment inspections in Marion County, click here.
To report a complaint to the State Health Department, click here.
