The Ralphs grocery store in Castaic has reopened following a temporary shutdown by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health after evidence of rodent droppings was found in numerous areas of the store on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for Kroger, parent company of the chain.
L.A. County Public Health officials performed a routine inspection at the Ralphs located on the 29600 block of The Old Road on Wednesday afternoon and noted a critical violation after finding rodent droppings in nine different areas, according to a retail food official inspection report.
Those areas included: the broiler room, the mac and cheese aisle, more than 20 droppings on the floor, underneath, and in front of pallets across from the baby formula cage in the back warehouse, and gnaw marks on a rice seasoning container near the affected areas, the inspection report stated.
“Ralphs takes the health and safety of our customers and associates very seriously. In cooperation with the Los Angeles County Health Department and to thoroughly clean, sanitize and inspect all areas of the store, we’ve temporarily closed our location at 28675, The Old Road, Castaic, CA 91384,” wrote Salvador Ramirez, Corporate Affairs Manager at Ralphs Grocery Company in an email to The Signal on Friday morning.
“Furthermore, we are in partnership with our professional pest control company, which conducts thorough inspections to remove any activity. Additionally, we are implementing strict sanitation protocols and will maintain ongoing inspections. With this expansive mitigation programming, we anticipate reopening the store soon,” he stated in the email.
In a follow-up email sent on Friday, Ramirez also wrote that the store had reopened.
In order for the store to resume full operations, a reinspection was scheduled, potentially on Friday, to confirm that the violations were corrected, the report said. Failure to comply could result in a fee of $145 for each additional re-inspection.
The presence of insects, rodents, birds and other animals poses a critical risk factor to the public, which prompted officials to shut down the business immediately, according to the report.
Among the rodent droppings, other violations under the “good retail practice” section included lack of cleanliness on the floors, walls and ceilings, the report said, which earned the grocery store an 88 score and a “B” grade.
In order to diminish these violations, the business must “eliminate rodents and evidence of rodents (e.g. droppings, dead rodents, nesting material, rub marks) from the facility by safe, legal and effective means at once,” and “properly clean and sanitize all affected areas,” the report said regarding the vermin infestation.
The last previous time the Castaic Ralphs grocery store was inspected was on May 27, and it earned a score of 95 and an “A” grade.
