On Your Side Consumer Alert: FDA Sends Warning about Some Products Sold at Family Dollar Stores in Alabama

This is an On Your Side Consumer Alert: Some products sold at Family Dollar stores in Alabama and five other states are being recalled after more than 1,000 dead rodents were found at a distribution facility in Arkansas.

The Food and Drug Administration says the dead rodents were found after a fumigation.

The recall involves certain products sold from January 1, 2021 through now at stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

The recall includes, but is not limited to:

• FDA-approved dietary supplements
• Cosmetics, including skincare products, baby oils, lipsticks, shampoos and baby wipes
• Animal foods, including kibble, pet treats and wild bird seed
• Medical devices, including feminine hygiene products, surgical masks, contact lens cleaning solutions, bandages and nasal care products
• Over-the-counter medications, including pain medications, eye drops, dental products, antacids and other medications for both adults and children

The FDA said it began an investigation into the West Memphis, Arkansas, distribution facility after receiving a consumer complaint in January. Inspectors found live rodents, dead rodents, “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 FDA said.

Between March and September of last year, the company’s internal records showed it found more than 2,300 rodents in the facility, the FDA said.

Family Dollar said in a statement that it is not aware of any reports of illness related to the recall.

If you bought any of these products, you are advised to not use them and to throw them out, the FDA said. Food in sealed containers is safe to use but should be thoroughly washed. Once you wash the food’s container, you should thoroughly wash your hands as well.

Rodent contamination can cause salmonella and infectious disease. Anyone who purchased these products and experiences health concerns should contact a health care professional right away, the FDA said.

— Information from CBS News