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More than 400 Family Dollar stores closed after over 1,000 dead rodents were found at Arkansas plant

U.S.

By Sophie Reardon

/ CBS News

Rodent infestation prompts Family Dollar recall

Rodent infestation prompts Family Dollar recall 00:26

More than 400 Family Dollar stores remained closed Monday after more than 1,000 dead rodents were found at a distribution facility in West Memphis, Arkansas. Several products sold at Family Dollar stores in six states are being voluntarily recalled, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.  

The dead rodents were found after a fumigation the discount retailer's distribution center, the FDA said. 

The company said it was not aware of any customer complaints or illnesses linked to the problem. 

The recall impacts stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, and products purchased between January 1, 2021, and today.

The recall includes, but is not limited to: 

  • FDA-approved dietary supplements
  • Cosmetics, including skincare products, baby oils, lipsticks, shampoos and baby wipes
  • Animal foods, including kibble, pet treats and wild bird seed
  • Medical devices, including feminine hygiene products, surgical masks, contact lens cleaning solutions, bandages and nasal care products
  • Over-the-counter medications, including pain medications, eye drops, dental products, antacids and other medications for both adults and children

The FDA said it began an investigation into the West Memphis, Arkansas, distribution facility after receiving a consumer complaint in January. Inspectors found live rodents, dead rodents, "rodent feces and urine, evidence of gnawing, nesting and rodent odors throughout the facility, dead birds and bird droppings, and products stored in conditions that did not protect against contamination," the FDA said. After fumigating the facility, more than 1,100 dead rodents were discovered. 

Between March and September of last year, the company's internal records showed it found more than 2,300 rodents in the facility, the FDA said.

Days after inspectors arrived at the facility, distribution was stopped. The FDA says it concluded its investigation on February 11.

"Families rely on stores like Family Dollar for products such as food and medicine. They deserve products that are safe," Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judith McMeekin said in the FDA's statement. "No one should be subjected to products stored in the kind of unacceptable conditions that we found in this Family Dollar distribution facility. " 

If you bought any of these products, you are advised to not use them and to throw them out, the FDA said. Food in sealed containers is safe to use but should be thoroughly washed. Once you wash the food's container, you should thoroughly wash your hands as well.

Rodent contamination can cause salmonella and infectious disease. Anyone who purchased these products and experiences health concerns should contact a health care professional right away, the FDA said. 

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Sophie Reardon

Sophie Reardon is a News Editor at CBS News. Reach her at [email protected]

First published on February 18, 2022 / 9:48 PM

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FDA Alerts the Public to Potentially Contaminated Products from Family Dollar Stores in Six States

FDA News Release

For Immediate Release:

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Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting the public that several categories of FDA-regulated products purchased from Jan. 1, 2021, through the present from Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee may be unsafe for consumers to use. The impacted products originated from the company’s distribution facility in West Memphis, Arkansas, where an FDA inspection found insanitary conditions, including a rodent infestation, that could cause many of the products to become contaminated. The FDA is working with the company to initiate a voluntary recall of the affected products.

“Families rely on stores like Family Dollar for products such as food and medicine. They deserve products that are safe,” said Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judith McMeekin, Pharm.D. “No one should be subjected to products stored in the kind of unacceptable conditions that we found in this Family Dollar distribution facility. These conditions appear to be violations of federal law that could put families’ health at risk. We will continue to work to protect consumers.”

This alert covers FDA-regulated products purchased from Family Dollar stores in those six states from Jan. 1, 2021, through the present. Some examples of these products include human foods (including dietary supplements (vitamin, herbal and mineral supplements)), cosmetics (skincare products, baby oils, lipsticks, shampoos, baby wipes), animal foods (kibble, pet treats, wild bird seed), medical devices (feminine hygiene products, surgical masks, contact lens cleaning solutions, bandages, nasal care products) and over-the-counter (OTC) medications (pain medications, eye drops, dental products, antacids, other medications for both adults and children).  

Consumers are advised not to use and to contact the company regarding impacted products. The agency is also advising that all drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements, regardless of packaging, be discarded. Food in non-permeable packaging (such as undamaged glass or all-metal cans) may be suitable for use if thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Consumers should wash their hands immediately after handling any products from the affected Family Dollar stores.

Consumers who recently purchased affected products should contact a health care professional immediately if they have health concerns after using or handling impacted products. Rodent contamination may cause Salmonella and infectious diseases, which may pose the greatest risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people.

Following a consumer complaint, the FDA began an investigation of the Family Dollar distribution facility in West Memphis, Arkansas, in January 2022. Family Dollar ceased distribution of products within days of the FDA inspection team’s arrival on-site and the inspection concluded on Feb. 11. Conditions observed during the inspection included live rodents, dead rodents in various states of decay, rodent feces and urine, evidence of gnawing, nesting and rodent odors throughout the facility, dead birds and bird droppings, and products stored in conditions that did not protect against contamination. More than 1,100 dead rodents were recovered from the facility following a fumigation at the facility in January 2022. Additionally, a review of the company’s internal records also indicated the collection of more than 2,300 rodents between Mar. 29 and Sep. 17, 2021, demonstrating a history of infestation.

Related Information

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The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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