New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle this week said MPI’s "substantive investigation" into the store, now known as Woolworths South Dunedin, had been completed.
"We are now considering possible next steps and will provide a further update when we are able to do so.
"In the meanwhile, we are satisfied that there are no ongoing issues with the Dunedin South store."
In September, Mr Arbuckle said officials monitored the supermarket at 323 Andersons Bay Rd "for a significant period" and were satisfied the issue at the store had been resolved.
The supermarket was closed for much of February this year after staff approached the Otago Daily Times, saying their concerns about rats running rampant through the store were not being taken seriously by management.
One store employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the ODT one or two rats were first detected inside the store in October last year, but by January they had multiplied and the supermarket had become infested.
MPI said it was investigating the matter.
At the time, Woolworths New Zealand acknowledged increased pest activity at the store, but said a comprehensive management plan was in place.
The company was confident its increased pest control was effective, a spokesman said.
Then, a photo, taken in November last year, was supplied to the ODT showing a rat in the deli section.
On February 9, Woolworths New Zealand director of stores Jason Stockill said although the store believed it had addressed its rodent problem, four rats had been caught inside the store and it would close for a deep clean.
MPI required the store to have a rat-free day and then a 48-hour period thereafter to show pest control efforts were dealing with the risk.
This proved difficult and the store reopened on February 28.
As the matter dragged on, 24 rats were caught at the store and evidence of nests were discovered in the walls.
On February 14, Mr Arbuckle said broadly the purpose of MPI’s investigation was to "establish the causes of the problem and make whatever changes are necessary to prevent it from happening in future".
On some occasions investigations would look into whether enforcement or prosecution action was necessary.
This week, an MPI spokesman declined to release the investigation report, saying New Zealand Food Safety was still considering next steps — "and so at this stage it remains a work in progress".
