Oh, Rats! Viral video of infestation prompts closure of Amsterdam restaurant
A viral video showing rats running through food storage bins and across kitchen surfaces at a restaurant on the Javastraat in Amsterdam Oost prompted the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) to shut the establishment down.
The NVWA said it acted after seeing footage circulating on social media showing rats moving through the restaurant, including over food containers and the deep fryer. Inspectors who visited the site over the weekend found widespread contamination, including rodents moving through the building and entering through the ceiling, as well as rat droppings in multiple locations.
“After seeing the images, our inspectors immediately went to the restaurant this weekend. What we encountered was serious: a large rat infestation in the restaurant,” the NVWA wrote on Instagram. The authority added: “We closed the restaurant immediately because rats pose a risk to food safety and can spread diseases.”
According to the NVWA, inspectors also found that the rodents had forced their way through cracks and gaps throughout the building. The agency said it rarely encounters situations of this severity and emphasized the importance of public reporting. "That is why it is so important that if you see something like this incident, you report it to us. This is how we keep the hospitality sector food-safe together.”
The owner told AT5 the building is very old. “Because of that, there are holes everywhere where rats have come through,” the owner said. “We are now working on closing and cleaning the restaurant.”
To reopen, the owner must meet several conditions set by the NVWA. These include ensuring pests cannot enter the building, thoroughly cleaning the premises, and hiring a professional pest control company to make the restaurant “rat-proof.”
Only after these measures are completed can a new inspection be requested; thereafter, the NVWA will decide whether reopening is permitted. The timing of that inspection has not yet been determined.
