The Pest Sighting Before Service
At 10:30 on a Saturday, a kitchen porter reports seeing a mouse run behind the dry-store shelving. The dry store holds open bags of flour, a box of cereal with a torn corner, and sealed cans. There are droppings on the floor near the shelving and gnaw marks on the corner of the cereal box. The restaurant opens at 12:00 and has a full booking. The pest control contractor is not due until Monday. The manager wants to sweep up, close the dry store door, and carry on.
1. Assess the food safety risk and decide what should happen to the affected dry-store food.
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The risk is significant. Evidence of mice includes droppings, gnaw marks, and a sighting, which together indicate an active infestation. Mice can carry pathogens such as Salmonella and can contaminate food through droppings, urine, and hair. The torn cereal box and open flour bags are directly exposed.
The affected food should be discarded: the open flour, the torn cereal box, and any other open or damaged packaging in the area. Sealed cans can be retained if they are undamaged and cleaned and sanitised on the outside, but they should be inspected for gnaw marks and dents. The shelving and floor should be cleaned and sanitised after removal of the food, and the area should be checked for nesting material.
The manager's plan to sweep up and carry on is inadequate because sweeping can spread contamination and does not address the source. The dry store should be closed to food storage until the contractor has assessed it. The restaurant can still open if it has safe food elsewhere, but it must not use the affected store.
2. What immediate and follow-up actions, including documentation, should the manager take?
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Immediate actions: remove and discard affected food; clean and sanitise the dry store, shelving, and floor; seal or block obvious entry points if this can be done safely; keep the dry store closed to food; and contact the pest control contractor to request an earlier visit. Staff should wash hands after handling the area and should not eat in the dry store.
Follow-up: the contractor should survey, treat, and provide a report with recommendations. The manager should review the pest control schedule and monitoring points, check for entry points such as gaps around pipes and doors, and ensure dry goods are stored in sealed containers off the floor. A deep clean of the wider kitchen should be considered.
Documentation: record the sighting, the evidence found, the food discarded with quantities, the cleaning carried out, the contractor's visit and report, and any corrective actions and dates. The incident should be reviewed to see whether the pest control frequency is adequate. The key judgement is that a sighting plus droppings plus gnaw marks is not a minor issue to be swept away; it requires exclusion of affected food and professional treatment.