3 days ago
Kroger addresses concerns about rodents in Midtown store
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Kroger says there is no rodent issue at its Union Avenue store, despite WREG showing the company a video of a mouse running down an aisle away from employees Wednesday morning.
This comes two weeks after someone posted a video of a bread bag with holes in it, claiming the Midtown store was infested with mice and rats. Another person also posted a video of a mouse running across what looked like a store aisle.
'The video that you had from yesterday was taken to the pest control company, and the goal is to find out how that mouse got into the building and make sure it doesn't happen again,' said Associate Communications and Engagement Manager George Brown.
Brown said as soon as Kroger saw the social media posts, they contacted a pest control company to investigate, and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture did not find any signs of rodents in the building.
'We really want to thank the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, which came out right away. They didn't find any rodent activity in any of the food areas, which was great because we could confidently serve our customers,' said Brown.
The TDA told WREG its Food Safety office has not received any consumer complaints, but decided to inspect the store after also noticing the social media posts.
During a May 14 visit, the TDA reported that no rodent activity was observed, but acknowledged that a store manager had previously reported seeing signs of rodent activity.
Kroger said it has taken steps to protect the property from rats spotted outside near a former fast-food restaurant next door.
The business has been closed for years, and it appears that homeless individuals have been staying there, leaving behind food and trash.
Several rats were spotted in the shrubs surrounding the vacant property on Thursday.
'As you saw, that abandoned property is attracting rodents and other issues. We contacted the health department and reported that we want to protect our business, and we also want to protect the neighborhood, because if that building stays that way, the problem could get worse,' Brown said.
Several rat traps have been placed around the former restaurant. Kroger has also placed traps around the back of its store.
A spokesperson for the city stated that another company has purchased the restaurant property, but code enforcement is referring the matter to environmental court through the Neighborhood Preservation Act.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture said it will conduct a follow-up visit to the Kroger store within the next 30 days.
Kroger said they always want customers to feel safe in their stores and know that the food they are getting is safe.
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