Viral video of mouse eating cold meat is ‘old’ and store is ‘safe for shopping’, says Pick n Pay

Retail group Pick n Pay has responded to a viral video of a mouse eating pastrami in one of its supermarkets, saying the footage is old and the shop is safe for shopping.

According to social media users, the viral video was taken at a Pick n Pay outlet in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. 

In it, the mouse can be seen walking across a stack of pastrami and nibbling on the meat.

A shop assistant can also been seen in the background, unaware of the presence of the mouse.

Taking to Twitter, Pick n Pay said the video was old.

“This is an old post making its rounds. This issue has been addressed and the necessary steps have been taken to ensure this store is safe for shopping,” said the group.

The video drew mixed reactions, with some social media users saying rodents were a thing at some Pick n Pay outlets.

“I sometimes see rat droppings on the snacks shelves, especially biscuits, and products partly eaten by rats,” said one user.

“Apologies for the poor conditions experienced in store. We will address this incident with our management team,” said Pick n Pay.

This was not the first time customers spotted rodents at supermarkets or in their food.

A woman in Gqeberha discovered a live mouse crawling inside a packet of bread she bought at Checkers in Metlife Plaza, Kabega Park a few years ago.

The woman’s daughter spotted the rodent when she was about to make sandwiches for the family.

“I was on the phone with a friend when I heard a scream from the kitchen,” said the woman.

She said she rushed to the kitchen and managed to close the packet before the mouse was able to escape.

“I was in absolute shock,” she said.

“What if we had eaten the first slices before finding the mouse?”

Shoprite Checkers spokesperson Sarita van Wyk said the matter was being investigated, while Pioneer Foods spokesperson Leanne Koopman said they believed it was “unlikely the source of infestation occurred at our premises or in transit or dispatch to the retailers”.

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