Family Dollar Closes 400 Stores, Recalls Products After FDA Finds Dead Rats in Warehouse

In a horrifying turn of events, the FDA warned the public that Family Dollar shoppers may have been exposed to "potentially contaminated products" in at least six states after finding live, dead and decaying rodents at a distribution center in West Memphis, Arkansas. According to reports, items purchased from Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee for the entirety of 2021 until now could have been compromised. The discount chain has recalled a wide range of products sold at hundreds of its stores; health concerns have also led to the temporary closure of more than 400 stores in the six states.

The FDA conducted a search of the facility after receiving tips for unsafe conditions, and they 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," the agency announced last week. More than 1,100 dead rodents were found after the center was fumigated, the agency said. The FDA said a look at the company's internal records showed "a history of infestation" at the Arkansas facility, with more than 2,300 rodents collected in less than six months in 2021.

The FDA released a full list of recalled items, including some human and pet food; vitamin supplements; cosmetics and personal beauty products; feminine hygiene products; surgical masks; contact lens solutions; and over-the-counter medications, including painkillers, eye drops, dental hygiene products, and antacids. "Families rely on stores like Family Dollar for products such as food and medicine. They deserve products that are safe," said Judith McMeekin, FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, in a statement. "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."

The FDA is working with Family Dollar to isolate items for a voluntary recall of the compromised products, and the company released a statement saying they were "not aware of any consumer complaints or reports of illness related to this recall." Customers who wanted more information about potentially dangerous items should contact the company. 

"We temporarily closed the affected stores in order to proficiently conduct the voluntary recall of certain FDA-regulated products. Our teams are working hard to reopen these stores as soon as possible," a spokesperson for Family Dollar told The New York Daily News.