Value-added chain Family Dollar said Saturday it has temporarily closed more than 400 stores after discovering rodent infestation and other unsanitary conditions at a distribution center in Arkansas triggered a far-reaching recall of food, supplements and cosmetics. and other products.
During a recent inspection by the Food and Drug Administration in West Memphis, Arkansas, live and dead rodents “in varying degrees of decay”, rodent excrement, nibbling and nesting marks, and food stored under conditions not protecting against these unsanitary conditions, the agency said in a statement on Friday.
Fumigation of the facility last month revealed more than 1,100 dead rodents, and a review of the company’s records showed a collection of more than 2,300 rodents from late March through September, “demonstrating a history of infestation,” the agency said. According to the FDA, rodent infestation can cause salmonellosis and infectious diseases.
Families rely on stores like Family Dollar to buy food, medicine and other items that need to be safe, Judith McMeekin, assistant commissioner of the agency’s Office of Regulatory Affairs, said in a statement.
“No one should be exposed to products stored in unacceptable conditions that we found at this Family Dollar distribution center,” she said. “These conditions appear to be violations of federal law that could endanger family health.”
Family dollar said in a statement that the voluntary recall, which also covers drugs, medical devices, and pet food, includes FDA-regulated products that were stocked and shipped from a distribution center to 404 stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Kaylee Campbell, a spokesperson for Dollar Tree, said in an email Saturday that the company has “temporarily closed affected stores to expedite the voluntary recall” and that stores will reopen as soon as possible.
“We take situations like this very seriously and are committed to providing our customers with safe, quality products,” Ms. Campbell said. “We are fully cooperating with all regulators on this matter and are in the process of correcting the issue.”
The recall applies to products stored in the distribution center from the beginning of 2021 to the present. This does not apply to products shipped directly to stores from distributors or manufacturers. Family Dollar said it was not aware of reports of illness associated with the recall.
“Family Dollar is notifying its affected stores by letter asking them to immediately check their inventory, quarantine and stop selling any affected product,” the company said in a statement. “Customers who may have purchased an affected product may return such product to the Family Dollar store where it was purchased without a receipt.”
The agency said the FDA investigation began in January following a consumer complaint and ended on February 11. In a statement, the FDA said all medicines, medical devices, cosmetics and nutritional supplements must be thrown away regardless of packaging. Food in intact glass or metal jars can be used if they are cleaned and disinfected.
Family Dollar is a brand under the parent company of Dollar Tree, a fast-growing retail giant that operates over 16,000 stores across the US and Canada.
Like other retailers, Dollar Tree has struggled with shipping and supply chain costs during the pandemic.
dollar tree announced in November plan to raise the prices of most items across all of its stores to $1.25 from $1 after successfully testing a new pricing strategy. Company officials called the decision “permanent” rather than a reaction to current market conditions.
The company said the price increase, which he first announced that he would be testing in Septemberwill help reduce shipping and distribution costs, as well as increase wages, as well as allow the return of some products that the company could no longer offer at a price of $1.
Amanda Holpuch contributed to the report.