Dollar Tree said Tuesday it received a subpoena from the grand federal jury issued by the Eastern District of Arkansas related to the rat infestation at one of its Family Dollar stores. The citation comes after a 22-page FDA inspection report revealed unpleasant details about the facility, such as problems ranging from “four rat carcasses on the conveyor belt” to “too many rodent droppings” to count “.
Dollar Tree, who is the father of Family Dollar, said he intends to cooperate with the citation and any related research. The subpoena has requested information, documents and records on pests, sanitation and law enforcement on certain procedures and practices, according to a company filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15.
Family dollar closed more than 400 stores in February after more than 1,000 rodents were found dead at one of its distribution facilities.
Several products sold at six-state Family Dollar stores were voluntarily withdrawn, the Food and Drug Administration said last month. The infestation has already been costly, and Dollar Tree said the removal of products and the closure of stores cost $ 34 million. He also revealed in the March 15 filing that he faces at least nine class action lawsuits for infestation and withdrawals.
The FDA report said the company was aware of the presence of rodents at its West Memphis, Arkansas facility since at least January 2020. In October 2021, a fire drill sent “dozens of rats” to be corrected for installation due to loud sound. , said the agency.
In an email in response to the FDA report, a Dollar Tree spokeswoman said the company takes “this very seriously and [is] “We have been cooperating fully with all regulatory agencies in resolving this issue and are in the process of resolving the issue.”
The FDA confirmed the authenticity of the inspection report.
“excrete pellets”
Installation problems could hurt Family Dollar’s reputation among consumers, retail expert Neil Saunders, CEO of GlobalData, said in a report.
“We think the situation is worrying, as we believe it points to a broader oversight in the Family Dollar operation and a willingness to cut corners,” Saunders wrote. “While no one expects a dollar store to be palatine, consumers rightly want basic hygiene and safety standards to be met.”
Problems encountered by FDA inspectors at the facility include:
- Both live rodents and “dead rodents in various states of decomposition” through the facility, including where the food was stored.
- “A mouse carcass on a pallet” containing escalope potatoes with Hungry Jack cheese.
- Numerous “rodent excrete pellets” found in multiple food pallets, including products such as Knorr Chicken Flavor Rice & Pasta Blend, Knorr Pasta Alfredo, Graffity Taffy, Chestnut Hill Self-Rising Flour, BiGS Taco Supreme Flavored Seeds and Jell-O brand Instant Chocolate Jelly.
- “Multiple (not less than 5) rats climbing scaffolding and through a pallet containing chips.”
- Many products that were gnawed by rodents, such as the Italian Pistachio and Vanilla Duo Spread tubs, which had “gnaw holes”.
- Some pet food products also had signs of rodents, with dog food bags and cats with rodent holes.
- Rodent feces were also found in personal care items such as Crest toothpaste and Listerine mouthwash.
The FDA report said the company did not have a system in place to track reports from its stores that received contaminated products from the distribution center. He also claimed that a store received a box with a “big live rat” inside.
Dollar Tree said the distribution center is still open but operating at “limited capacity.” At the same time, it is gradually reopening the shops that were closed due to problems with the installation, but at the moment it does not have opening hours, the spokeswoman said.
“The facility does not currently ship FDA-regulated products, such as packaged food for humans and animals (pets), pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, medical devices and cosmetics,” the spokeswoman said. “We are working on a repair plan.”
- In:
- Product withdrawal
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