The Marion County Public Health Department has fully reinstated the food license for the grocery section of the Walmart store on Pendleton Pike, following a closure due to a rodent infestation.
The health department said all the food areas in the store located at 10735 Pendleton Pike are cleared for operation, but that the MCPHD will continue to monitor.
The grocery section was closed for more than a week following news of unsanitary conditions. The license was reinstated as of March 29, officials said.
While it was good news for some, it raised questions of consumer safety for others.
Lawrence township resident Danielle Yates said she shops at the Pendleton Pike Walmart roughly three times a week. Yates does grocery shopping for her job that assists youth around the city and chooses this store due to its convenience.
“This is closer to my house than Kroger and sometimes Kroger doesn’t have the variety that Walmart has but it’s a little scary when they say we’re shutting down because they lost their food license,” Yates said in an interview this morning.
Although Yates is glad the store is now open, she hopes Walmart is making sure customers are getting good quality food.
She hopes the MCPHD “crack down on these stores that are not doing what they are supposed to do for our safety,” Yates said.
Walmart store manager Grant Johnson refused to comment on how the store plans to maintain its food license.
Walmart Media Relations Senior Manager, Robert Arrieta, said “we take the health and safety of our customers very seriously. After working with local officials, we’ve reopened our Pendleton Pike location and intend to remain in compliance.”
Contact staff writer Timoria Cunningham at 317-762-7854 or timoriac@indyrecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @_timoriac.
This story has been updated to reflect Walmart’s Media Relations statement.
