New Zealanders up and down the country have shuddered this week at reports of rodents roaming in supermarkets – but what can be done about the issue?
Dunedin South Countdown has been closed since last Friday amid an ongoing issue with rats, while shocking video has emerged from Eastgate Countdown in Christchurch showing a mouse crawling over an uncovered ready-to-eat salad in the deli cabinet.
There were two sales from the deli after the mouse was filmed, although the salad it crawled on was disposed of.
New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said people should expect better.
Pest management expert Paul Craddock told Breakfast this morning that it won't just be supermarkets having creature discomfort issues at the moment.
"This time of year, we're starting to see rodent populations get near their peak," he said.
"Any food facility is going to have rodent pressure, they're just around all the time, coming in.
"We're seeing a few incursions coming into places like supermarkets, but it won't just be them."
But there's cause for hope as Craddock said infestations can be tackled if a proactive approach was taken.
"If you've got one, there's gonna be more in there," he said. "It's something that needs to be jumped on pretty quickly."
Food businesses should be looking for entry points and nests, Craddock added.
"Things can just spring up, these things," he explained. "They're very smart, they can get through small gaps and crevices.
"The facilities just need to have a good pest control programme in place."
He said "constant vigilance" was required.
"It can be everything from cleaning the rubbish bins to cleaning out warehouse facilities, removing nesting material."
Rodents can have a lot of babies quite quickly if sightings aren't urgently addressed, he said.
There are extra precautions that consumers can take as well.
Rodents can be vectors of disease through droppings and urine on food, and by chewing into food packets – so Craddock suggested Kiwis consider washing produce they bring home from the shop.
"That's just good practice anyway," he said.
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