Kaufland Homburg: Hygiene scandal branch closed for months!

Kaufland Homburg: Hygiene scandal branch closed for months!

The Kaufland branch in Homburg is expected to be closed for five to six months. This was announced by the Kaufland boss Jochen Kratz, who promises a reopening in the “late autumn” in 2025. The closure follows considerable hygiene defects, which were documented, among other things, by a reporter and in which a mouse infestation was found. As a result, an administrative offense procedure was initiated. During the closing time, extensive renovation measures are planned, the costs of which will be in the double -digit million range, reports Sol.de

The renovation work that was originally intended for May should also be carried out in the closed time. Around 100 employees are paid out during the closure and have the opportunity to work in other Kaufland branches. This measure is part of the reaction to the grievances, which also led to the suspension of the management staff in Homburg. It remains unclear whether the identified hygiene defects or other reasons are related.

hygiene defects and measures

according to sr.de are the hygiene defects in Homburg. Similar problems were found in 48 out of 50 Kaufland branches examined in Germany. This happened in the course of a comprehensive examination, in which a mouse droppings were discovered in addition to food in the Homburger branch. The Saarland Ministry of the Environment confirmed that the pest infestation had been known since the end of last year and corresponding controls took place.

Kaufland was affected and emphasized that the defects that have occurred did not correspond to the company standards. Extensive renovation measures are planned for the Homburger branch, including the exchange of cooling devices, the repair of customer toilets and the renewal of the social rooms. According to Kaufland, these measures should help to prevent pest infestation effectively in the future.

background and corporate structure

Kaufland, which belongs to the Schwarz Group, which also includes Lidl, runs more than 770 branches in Germany and employs around 90,000 people. Together, Kaufland and Lidl generate around 167 billion euros annually, which underlines their central role in German retail.

However, the current hygiene defects raise questions about the control and supervision of food supply. According to EU hygiene law, all food companies must comply with strict requirements to ensure the safety of the products. Among other things, these regulations provide for training obligations for employees who deal with food and strict adherence to hygiene standards up to submitting the goods to consumers. The aim of these regulations is to ensure the perfect quality of food and to exclude health risks for customers, such as brel.de explained.