Family Dollar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dollar Tree, initiated a voluntary recall of certain products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that were stored and shipped to 404 stores from Family Dollar due to the presence of rodents and rodent activity, the chain said in a press release.

                By                    Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy

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In addition, The New York Times reported that Family Dollar temporarily closed these 404 stores on Feb. 19. 

A Dollar Tree spokeswoman told The New York Times on Feb. 19 that the company had “temporarily closed the affected stores in order to proficiently conduct the voluntary recall,” and that the stores would reopen as soon as possible.

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“We take situations like this very seriously and are committed to providing safe and quality products to our customers,” she told The New York Times. “We have been fully cooperating with all regulatory agencies in the resolution of this matter and are in the process of remediating the issue.”

Dollar Tree stock was up 0.07% in pre-market trading on Feb. 22 and is up 1.18% year-to-date. 

The FDA said it was 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, according to a press release. The impacted products originated from the company’s distribution facility in West Memphis, Ark., where an FDA inspection found unsanitary 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.”

The FDA added that 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 March 29 and Sep. 17, 2021, demonstrating a history of infestation,” according to the release. 

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The FDA recommends that any drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements purchased at the affected Family Dollar stores be thrown out. 

For more information on what products were impacted, click here.