Pittsburgh Popcorn Co. denies citation for mouse infestation

PITTSBURGH — Burned popcorn kernels, not mouse droppings.

That's how the Pittsburgh Popcorn Co. in the Strip District is responding to a health alert for what was described as an extensive mice infestation.

PREVIOUS STORY: Pittsburgh Popcorn Co. cited for mouse infestation

According to a spokesperson for the Pittsburgh Popcorn Company, The Allegheny County Health Department's alert was incorrect, because "at no time were there mouse droppings, on our poppers, popcorn containers, and/or prep table surfaces."

During a normal course of a day, black burnt popcorn hulls and kernels scatter throughout the store, which were misidentified and mislabeled by the Health Department as droppings. We clean our poppers between every single batch we pop, (this is to prevent the burnt specks to get on the popcorn and how it gets around the store). At no point was our food ever contaminated by anything harmful, which is why the Health Dept. continued to allow us to operate and did not shut us down.

That spokesperson also said they hope the alert will be lifted in the next few days.

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The original Food Safety Report cited mouse droppings too numerous to count in the storage area, washing area and inside of a popcorn popping machine. Droppings were also found on top of popcorn seasoning mixers, on prep tables and in containers used to store popcorn.

Related: Woman claims dead mouse found in Chick-Fil-A sandwich

The company was ordered to clean up the mouse droppings and eliminate the infestation.

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