A San Jose Safeway in the Willow Glen neighborhood reopened after Santa Clara County inspectors found rodent contamination inside the Hamilton Avenue supermarket. A follow-up inspection cleared the store after pest control work addressed the violation.
A Safeway supermarket in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood has reopened after Santa Clara County health officials temporarily closed the store following the discovery of rodent contamination in several areas.
The closure affected the entire Safeway location on Hamilton Avenue, including its deli, bakery, sushi section and in-store Starbucks. County inspectors said evidence of vermin found inside the supermarket warranted the temporary shutdown.
Complaint leads to Santa Clara County inspection
The Santa Clara County Public Health Department said the investigation began after it received a complaint from a member of the public.
Inspectors subsequently found rodent droppings in multiple locations inside the Safeway. The findings led officials to order the store closed while the contamination and pest problem were addressed.
County health officials conduct routine inspections of food establishments based partly on the level of food safety risk associated with their operations. Unannounced inspections may also be conducted following complaints or other reported concerns.
Pest control work leads to Safeway reopening
Safeway later requested a follow-up inspection and provided a pest control report indicating that corrective action had been completed.
Health inspectors returned to the Hamilton Avenue location, determined that the contamination violation had been addressed and approved the supermarket to reopen.
The county did not report additional violations that would have required the store to remain closed.
Willow Glen shoppers react to closure
The temporary shutdown surprised some customers who regularly shop at the Willow Glen location.
One frequent shopper cited in the original report said the rodent findings could influence whether she returns to the supermarket because of the seriousness of the food safety violation.
Safeway is part of Albertsons Companies. The company had not issued a public response regarding the incident at the time of the original report.
The reopening allows the Hamilton Avenue supermarket and its food-service departments to resume operations following the county's follow-up inspection. Additional information about future inspections or enforcement would depend on Santa Clara County health officials and any subsequent findings.
