The Whole Foods Market located on Stevens Creek Boulevard, across the street from De Anza College, has been closed since April 23 by the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health after it found rat feces and live cockroaches.
Its operating permit was suspended after the bakery and deli departments were closed, as reported by KRON 4 News. New areas of the store were also found to be contaminated, leading to the closure of the entire store.
Anna Cordova, 27, film production major, said she purchased pita bread from the bakery department a week prior.
“I trust Whole Foods to have a clean environment, especially (since) it’s a natural foods store,” Cordova said. “They are totally going against their whole brand.”
Alan Neyer, 29, film and television major, said that he ate there often.
“I was getting lunch there after class for the last quarter,” Neyer said. “I buy groceries there pretty regularly, so that sucks.”
Sanitation workers in hazmat suits sprayed the enclosed Whole Foods in the past week.
Savannah Erickson, 20, biology major, said that Whole Foods should be doing a better job in maintaining their health standards.
“I would probably go to another (Whole Foods),” Erickson said. “I always just assumed that since it was so expensive, it would be held to a higher standard.”
La Voz reached out to Whole Foods, and a spokesperson said that the store is not permanently closed.
“Our Cupertino location is temporarily closed while we complete necessary maintenance and repairs,” a Whole Foods spokesperson said via email. “We will reopen once the repairs are completed thoroughly.”
