Health inspectors say while mouse droppings may make you squirm, they don't necessarily pose an immediate health risk. In this Restaurants Exposed report, News10NBC takes a look at what health inspectors say poses a risk to your health.
Evan Archibald says he worked at Pontillo's Pizzeria on Park Avenue in Rochester for almost a year and saw mice almost daily. But what concerned him most were the droppings the mice left behind in the large walk-in refrigerator. He took pictures of mouse droppings littering the floor of the cooler – just feet from where unwrapped raw chicken sat in an open container. He also documented dough racks covered in what appears to be mold as well as dirty floors and cutting boards. And he didn't stop there. He sent the pictures and video to the Monroe County Department of Health.
"I contacted the health department, and within three hours of me contacting them they were there," said Archibald.
A Monroe County health inspector cited the restaurant with nine violations - noting that “the floor was soiled with grease and mouse droppings”. But none is deemed a critical violation that puts public health at risk. That shocked Archibald. He wanted to know, “Why droppings next to food wasn't a critical hit."