Woolworths New Zealand has been formally charged over a rodent infestation that forced the closure of its Dunedin South supermarket for nearly three weeks last year.
Vincent Arbuckle, deputy director-general of New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS), said that after a thorough investigation into rodent activity at Countdown Dunedin South last year, NZFS has filed a charge against Woolworths New Zealand Limited under the Food Act 2014.
The maximum penalty for the charge is a fine of $200,000.
“We take our food safety responsibilities and the health and safety of our team and customers seriously,” Woolworths NZ director of stores Jason Stockhill said.
“We’ve worked closely with New Zealand Food Safety following the issue in our Dunedin South store in late 2023. Since then we have improved our processes and controls, implementing a best-practice strategy for pest control and management.”
Woolworths’ pest control
Countdown Dunedin South, as it was known at the time, stopped trading from February 9, 2024, after the supermarket chain had been trying to eliminate rodents from the store since the previous October.
Although the store was originally scheduled to close for 48 hours, its reopening date was repeatedly delayed as additional rodents were discovered.
Pest control teams found old rat nests hidden in the wall cladding. By February 10, over two dozen rats had been caught inside the store.
The store was required to remain closed for 48 hours following the last sighting or capture of a rodent, as approved by NZFS, so each time the supermarket readied to reopen, a new sighting or discovery delayed the timeline.
On February 28, after nearly three weeks of closure, the store reopened its doors. Woolworths assured customers that a new, best-practice pest management strategy had been implemented.