Watch: Video shows Family Dollar distribution center infested with rats

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — Federal inspectors discovered more than 1,000 rodents inside a Family Dollar distribution facility in Arkansas, prompting the chain to issue a voluntary recall Friday affecting various items purchased from hundreds of stores spanning six southern states.

>> Read more trending news

In a news release, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed that a consumer complaint prompted officials to inspect the West Memphis facility in January, inside which they found live rodents, dead rodents in “various states of decay,” rodent feces, dead birds and bird droppings.

Update 2:44 p.m. EST Feb. 20: WHBQ obtained video footage from a former employee of the Family Dollar distribution center in West Memphis, Arkansas.

The video clearly shows rats crawling through inventory, as well as dead rodents littering the floor of the warehouse, the TV station reported.

The former employee who provided the video worked at the facility for about nine months, WHBQ reported.

Original report: According to Family Dollar, the recalled products include human food, pet food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, medical devices and over-the-counter medications that were purchased in January or February from Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri or Tennessee.

Regulatory officials confirmed that fumigating the facility resulted in the recovery of more than 1,100 dead rodents, USA Today reported.

“No one should be subjected to products stored in the kind of unacceptable conditions that we found in this Family Dollar distribution facility,” Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judith McMeekin said in a prepared statement.

Meanwhile, Family Dollar stated that it “is not aware of any consumer complaints or reports of illness related to this recall,” but a complete list of 404 stores that may have sold products originating from the contaminated facility can be viewed here.

According to the FDA, affected food in non-permeable packaging “may be suitable for use if thoroughly cleaned;” however, all drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements should be thrown away, regardless of packaging.

“Family Dollar is notifying its affected stores by letter asking them to check their stock immediately and to quarantine and discontinue the sale of any affected product,” the company stated. “Customers that may have bought affected product may return such product to the Family Dollar store where they were purchased without receipt.”

©2022 Cox Media Group