New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said the government had concluded the investigations, which had been several months in the making after the first Otago Daily Times report of a rat outbreak in January last year at Countdown Dunedin South (now Woolworths Dunedin South).
"Following our thorough investigation into rodent activity at Countdown Dunedin South last year, New Zealand Food Safety has laid a charge against Woolworths New Zealand Ltd under the Food Act 2014.
"The charge relates to a failure to ensure a significant rodent infestation was promptly identified and escalated in accordance with its food control plan.
"This charge carries a maximum fine of $200,000.
"As this matter is now before the court, we are unable to give any further comment."
First Union organiser Angus Wilson said the charges laid vindicated the union and the whistleblower’s approach.
"I think we’re pleased that the health and safety issues in that store have been resolved and that the government has been proactive in helping to keep New Zealanders and their food safe."
The situation at the time of the outbreak was tense, and revealed "workers would only put up with so much".
"It was an anonymous worker who went to MPI [Ministry for Primary Industries]. So I think it shows that when workers feel confident that they’re going to get a bit of backup, they feel a lot safer in actually coming forward with major issues like this."
Asked about a message to Woolworths, Mr Wilson said he had "nothing official" to say.
"We don’t want to have a situation like this again that could have been resolved at the first sign of rats."
The business was closed for 18 days following numerous sightings and captures of rodents in-store in February last year.
Twenty-three rats were caught while it was closed.
There was a report of "a small number of rat captures" at the store in April, but the MPI was satisfied with the investigation and the business was not closed.
In response to an Official Information Act request last year, an MPI spokesman said six South Island supermarkets other than Dunedin South Woolworths had been investigated for rodent activity in the past five years and "rodent infestations" had been identified at three of them.
"Once identified, the infestations were quickly resolved at these three sites," the MPI spokesman said.
Woolworths New Zealand director of stores Jason Stockill said the company acknowledged the filing of the charge.
"We take our food safety responsibilities and the health and safety of our team and customers seriously.
"We’ve worked closely with New Zealand Food Safety following the issue in our Dunedin South store in late 2023. Since then we have improved our processes and controls, implementing a best-practice strategy for pest control and management.
He said as the matter was now before the court, he was unable to give any further comment.
