![Chipiku stores]()
Chipiku Plus Stores at Ginnery Corner in Blantyre has escaped a legal action and a closure over rat invasion and poor sanitation and hygiene after meeting Blantyre City Council (BCC) recommendations.
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![Rats on shelves in Chipuku have been goten rid of]()
Rats on shelves in Chipuku have been goten rid of[/caption]
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![Chipiku stores]()
Chipiku stores[/caption]
The shop was infested with rodents and the owners were using poison and cats to get rid of the rats, an act which might have resulted in food contamination thereby putting lives of consumers at risk.
BCC last month issued out a Statutory Notice warning the shop owners to rectify the situation or face closure and legal action within seven days.
And in an interview, BCC Public Relations Manager, Athony Kasunda said the shop won’t be closed after meeting the Council's orders.
''Our officers inspected the shop last week and they found out that they (owners) have managed to rectify the situation,'' said Kasunda.
BCC had warned the shop owners of contravening the Public Health and the Council's By-Laws for, among others, failing to institute proper pest control measures and failing to maintain high sanitation and hygiene standards.
The shop was also accused of failing to provide lockers to its staff in the changing rooms, providing rat poison in the shop thereby causing risk of food contamination and for keeping live animals (cats)
in the food store.
Chipiku Plus Shop was ordered to install self closing door to all access to the bulk store, institute proper packing and shelving of goods in the bulk store and engage professional pest control to de rat
and rat proof the premises.
''The most prominent thing was for them to meet the set health and hygiene standards by getting rid of the rats, cats and the poison; and that has been met,'' added Kasunda.
Rats on shelves in Chipuku have been goten rid of[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_95420" align="alignright" width="600"]
Chipiku stores[/caption]
The shop was infested with rodents and the owners were using poison and cats to get rid of the rats, an act which might have resulted in food contamination thereby putting lives of consumers at risk.
BCC last month issued out a Statutory Notice warning the shop owners to rectify the situation or face closure and legal action within seven days.
And in an interview, BCC Public Relations Manager, Athony Kasunda said the shop won’t be closed after meeting the Council's orders.
''Our officers inspected the shop last week and they found out that they (owners) have managed to rectify the situation,'' said Kasunda.
BCC had warned the shop owners of contravening the Public Health and the Council's By-Laws for, among others, failing to institute proper pest control measures and failing to maintain high sanitation and hygiene standards.
The shop was also accused of failing to provide lockers to its staff in the changing rooms, providing rat poison in the shop thereby causing risk of food contamination and for keeping live animals (cats)
in the food store.
Chipiku Plus Shop was ordered to install self closing door to all access to the bulk store, institute proper packing and shelving of goods in the bulk store and engage professional pest control to de rat
and rat proof the premises.
''The most prominent thing was for them to meet the set health and hygiene standards by getting rid of the rats, cats and the poison; and that has been met,'' added Kasunda.