Posted: October 21st, 2011 - 12:16am by Doug Powell

Pusateri’s, proudly billed as Toronto’s most expensive grocer -- on its shelves are the best quality fruits, vegetables, meats, imported canned goods and a range of prepared food – has been closed by Toronto Public Health due to poor sanitation and pest infestation.

“It is up to the operator to improve their services and arrange a reinspection with the Public Health Inspector,” Toronto Public Health spokeswoman Rishma Govani confirmed to the Star by email Thursday afternoon.

Pusateri’s general manager John Mastroianni, however, said the store was closed for “general maintenance.”

“It’s not rodents,” Mastroianni said, repeatedly insisting that the issue was equipment related and “general maintenance.”

Govani said specifically that the closure was due to poor sanitation and pest infestation.

The inspection arose as a result of a public complaint, she said adding the pest infestation included rats as well as cockroaches.

When confronted again with the confirmation from Toronto Public Health that the store was in fact closed due to poor sanitation and pests, Mastroianni admitted cockroaches had been found in the store.