Cupertino: Whole Foods deli, bakery remain closed for health violations

The deli, bakery and other hot-food services at the Whole Foods store in Cupertino remain suspended days after health officials found evidence of a rodent infestation — including fresh droppings in the kitchen and meal preparation areas.

Empty food display cases could be seen inside the store Saturday. A sign inside the cases states the department is temporarily closed for maintenance work.

“Food safety is our top priority,” the sign reads. “We are working to restore services as quickly as possible while ensuring we meet all safety standards.”

When asked about re-opening updates from this news organization, store staff directed all questions to company representatives. A Whole Foods spokesperson had not responded as of late Saturday afternoon.

The rest of the store remains open to the public.

The store, which is located at 20955 Stevens Creek Blvd,, temporarily suspended those departments on April 7, following inspections from the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, according to department records.

Health inspectors first visited the store on March 25 and 26, and observed fresh rodent dropping in multiple areas of the deli section, including the preparation and equipment storage area, the back of the house and by doors separating the hallway to the main sales floor. Inspectors also found several snap traps behind and under equipment.

According to the report, the bakery section had several live cockroaches near the dishwasher and under the compartment sink on the other side of the wall. Two dead cockroaches were also on a wall behind a wire rack holding the dishes.

According to the county, the food facility is to remain closed until there is no longer evidence of an infestation, all contaminated surfaces have been cleaned and sanitized; and contributing factors such as cleaning, repairs and the elimination of harborages have been resolved.

The Cupertino store is one of California’s largest Whole Foods, and opened in 2007.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.