The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded value store chain Family Dollar $41.7 million, the largest financial penalty ever in a food safety case, for distributing food, drugs, medical devices and cosmetics from a rat-infested warehouse. announced that he had been fined.
Family Dollar pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Little Rock, Arkansas, to one misdemeanor count of storing merchandise in unsanitary conditions and causing adulteration. According to the plea agreement, the $41,675,000 fine is estimated to be the value of the product that became contaminated while being stored in unsanitary conditions.
According to court documents, the West Memphis, Arkansas, distribution center served 404 Family Dollar stores in six states: Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee.
Family Dollar is a subsidiary of Dollar Tree, a fast-growing retail giant with more than 16,000 stores in the United States and Canada.
Family Dollar temporarily closed its stores in 2022 due to the spread. Dollar Tree spokeswoman Kristin Tetrault said all stores have since reopened after being closed for several weeks.
According to the plea agreement, the rats had “established a presence” in the warehouse in July 2021. The rats were running freely around the facility using an abandoned conveyor system.
Employees filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and in August 2021, one of the company's local regulatory compliance experts said the rodent problem was “very significant.”
In 2022, Food and Drug Administration inspectors will examine live rodents, rodent carcasses in various states of decomposition, rodent feces and urine, and rodent feces in addition to bird carcasses and bird feces. Observations of urine, rodent evidence, nest evidence, and rodent odor were observed throughout the facility. According to the plea agreement in this case.”
Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, said in a statement, “Family Dollar was aware of rodent and pest problems at its Arkansas distribution center, yet it was found to be unsafe and unsanitary.'' It is incomprehensible that they continued to ship such products.” . “Intentionally marketing these types of products not only puts public health at risk, but also undermines consumer confidence in the products they purchase.”
Federal authorities say 1,270 rodents were removed when the warehouse was fumigated in January 2022.
The Department of Justice said on February 18, 2022, that the company voluntarily recalled all pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics, and human and animal food sold after January 1, 2021. The company announced that it was carried out at 404 stores that offered the service. .
The plea agreement reached Tuesday requires Family Dollar and Dollar Tree to meet “robust” corporate compliance and reporting requirements for the next three years. If a company does not meet the requirements, the period may be extended.
Dollar Tree said in a statement that it has “significantly strengthened” its compliance and safety programs by hiring experienced personnel, providing safety training and satisfying third-party audits.
Rick Dreyling, Dollar Tree's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors since March 2022, said the company is committed to “Family Dollar resolving this historic issue and implementing policies, procedures and “We have worked diligently to significantly strengthen our physical facilities.” Be careful not to repeat it. ”
Prior to the Family Dollar lawsuit, Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle was ordered to pay $25 million for its role in a food poisoning outbreak that sickened more than 1,100 people during 2015, making it the highest-ranking food safety lawsuit. He was fined an amount. And in 2018.
