San Jose's Mi Pueblo Market Reopens After Contamination, Vermin Infestation Forces Closure
EAST SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- A grocery store in East San Jose that was closed for 24 hours due to contamination has reopened Wednesday, Santa Clara County health officials said.
Mi Pueblo Food Center .12 at 320 N. Capitol Ave. was closed Tuesday after the store's bakery and grocery areas were found contaminated, according to an online food facility inspection report by the county's Department of Environmental Health.
A vermin infestation was also found at the center's deli, according to the report.
Michael Balliet, director of the consumer protection division at the department, said rats and mice generally carry disease and other vectors that affect food safety.
The contamination was found during a random, routine check that happens one to three times a year, depending on the facility, Balliet said.
County officials inspected the site again Wednesday morning and determined the contamination had been addressed, allowing the store to reopen this morning, according to Balliet.
The center reopened at 9:05 a.m. Wednesday, Mi Pueblo company officials said in a statement.
"We were issued an A grade, which means our food handling practices and overall food facility maintenance are superior," company officials said.
The store was closed on Sept. 22 due to a vermin infestation and reopened the following day, according to the county's facility inspection report.
The contamination at Mi Pueblo Food Center is not related to a recent outbreak of Shigella, an infectious diarrhoeal illness, stemming from Mariscos San Juan restaurant .3 in San Jose, Balliet said.
Public health officials have received 93 reports of people who became sick after eating at the restaurant on Friday or Saturday and 24 cases were confirmed to be Shigella.
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