(KTAL/KMSS/WREG) – The FDA issued an alert Friday night after rodent infestations and unsanitary conditions were found at an Arkansas Family Dollar distribution center.
The alert applies to many different types of products purchased from Jan. 1, 2021, until now. These products were shipped and sold in stores across Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Missouri. These products may be contaminated and unsafe for use according to the FDA.
This is not the first time Family Dollar has had rodent complaints. A 2019 health inspection detailed rodent droppings on store shelves at a Hickory Hill Family Dollar store, causing the store to close. See the story below.
Some of the products included are:
- Food items (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)
- Over-the-counter medications (pain medications, eye drops, dental products, antacids, other medications for both adults and children)
A complaint led the FDA to investigate the distribution center in West Memphis, Ark. from January through Feb. 11. Inspectors found 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 according to a release Friday by the FDA.
This complaint comes one month after a former Family Dollar employee sent WREG videos and photographs of rats inside the West Memphis, Arkansas distribution center.
In 2014, a downtown Memphis Family Dollar store was also closed for a deep cleaning after nearby businesses said the store “smelled like dead rats.”
Contamination can cause Salmonella and other diseases which may pose the greatest risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and immunocompromised people.
Family Dollar is working with the FDA to initiate a voluntary recall.
Anyone who purchased these products is advised to wash their hands immediately after handling them and to contact the stores affected. Officials warn you should not use any drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, or supplements purchased there.
Click here to read the FDA’s press release.
Call a healthcare professional immediately if you have any concerns about handling these products.
