Pittsburgh bakery hit with consumer alert after inspector finds dead mouse, rodent droppings

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A bakery in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood was hit with a consumer alert after an inspector reportedly found a dead mouse and rodent droppings. 

The consumer alert was issued for Five Points Artisan Bakery on Wilkins Avenue in Squirrel Hill after an inspection on Tuesday and was still posted as of Thursday afternoon, according to the Allegheny County Health Department's website. 

The inspection report lists several violations, two of which are considered high risk, meaning they could lead directly to food-borne illness or injury. 

According to the report, the inspector found "too many to count" rodent droppings in several areas, including on a slicer. The inspector also saw "a severely decomposed mouse corpse" in a trap behind a cooler condenser.  

Several other violations are detailed in the report. The inspector said the ceiling "is heavily and darkly stained with old cooking grease" throughout the facility and there were open packages of meat and cheese in the cooler with no date marking. 

The Allegheny County Health Department says it issues a consumer alert to show that a business is out of compliance with minimum food safety standards and the conditions may pose a risk to public health. 

The health department's Food Safety Program monitors and regulates about 8,500 permanent food businesses across the county like restaurants, food trucks, school cafeterias and food processing facilities. It regularly inspects food facilities and also investigates consumer complaints. 

When the consumer alert is removed from Five Points Artisan Bakery, the health department's website will be updated.