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Dollar Tree Distribution Inc. is recalling certain products purchased from Family Dollar because of potential exposure to rodents.

This recall comes after last month’s FDA warning to consumers to throw out products from Family Dollar stores in a number of categories, including human food, because of a severe rodent infestation in a distribution facility in Arkansas.

“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 Sept. 17, 2021, demonstrating a history of infestation,” according to the FDA’s public warning.

The products were distributed to Dollar Tree stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

The recall includes food products, cosmetic products, dietary supplements and pet food and treats purchased from Family Dollar retail stores.

A full list of recall products can be found below:

# Product Description Recall Number Classification Code Information Product Quantity Reason for Recall
1

Food products purchased from Family Dollar retail stores located in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee

F-0810-2022

 Class II

All food products purchased from Family Dollar retail stores located in AL, AR, LA, MS, MO, and TN from January 1, 2021 to present

Unknown

Potential exposure to rodents and rodent activity in the distribution center.
2

Cosmetic products purchased from Family Dollar retail stores located in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, including but not limited to skin and eye care products, baby oil, lipstick, shampoo, baby wipes

F-0811-2022

 Class II

All cosmetic products purchased from Family Dollar retail stores located in AL, AR, LA, MS, MO, and TN from January 1, 2021 to present

Unknown

Potential exposure to rodents and rodent activity in the distribution center.
3

Dietary supplements purchased from Family Dollar retail stores located in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, including but not limited to vitamins, herbal and mineral supplements

F-0812-2022

 Class II

All dietary supplements purchased from Family Dollar retail stores located in AL, AR, LA, MS, MO, and TN from January 1, 2021 to present

Unknown

Potential exposure to rodents and rodent activity in the distribution center.
# Product Description Recall Number Classification Code Information Product Quantity Reason for Recall
1

Pet food and treats purchased from Family Dollar retail stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee that are packaged in material other than glass or metal can

Not Yet Classified

All food products purchased from Family Dollar retail stores located in AL, AR, LA, MS, MO, and TN from January 1, 2021 to present

Unknown

Potential exposure to rodents and rodent activity in the distribution center.

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The FDA is warning consumers in several states to throw out products in a number of categories, including human food, because of a severe rodent infestation in a distribution facility in Arkansas.

The implicated states are Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. No recalls have been initiated for the products, but the Food and Drug Administration is working with the company to initiate a recall of the affected products.

“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 Sept. 17, 2021, demonstrating a history of infestation,” according to the FDA’s public warning.

This alert covers FDA-regulated products purchased from Family Dollar stores in those six states from Jan. 1, 2021, through the present. Some examples of these products include human foods, including dietary supplements, vitamin, herbal and mineral supplements; cosmetics skincare products, baby oils, lipsticks, shampoos, baby wipes; animal foods such as pet food, pet treats, wild bird seed; medical devices including feminine hygiene products, surgical masks, contact lens cleaning solutions, bandages, nasal care products; and over-the-counter (OTC) medications including pain medications, eye drops, dental products, antacids and other medications for both adults and children.

Impacted products originated from the company’s distribution facility in West Memphis, AR.

Following a consumer complaint, the FDA began an investigation of the Family Dollar distribution facility in West Memphis, AR, according to the FDA warning. In January 2022. Family Dollar ceased distribution of products within days of the FDA inspection team’s arrival on-site and the inspection that concluded on Feb. 11.

Conditions observed during the inspection included live rodents, dead rodents in various states of decay, 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’s Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judith McMeekin, Pharm.D., said: “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.”

Consumers are advised not to use impacted products. The agency is also advising that all drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements, regardless of packaging, be discarded. Food in non-permeable packaging, such as undamaged glass or cans that are all metal, may be suitable for use if thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Consumers should wash their hands immediately after handling any products from the affected Family Dollar stores.

Consumers who recently purchased affected products should contact a health care professional immediately if they have health concerns after using or handling impacted products. Rodent contamination may cause Salmonella infections and other infectious diseases, which may pose the greatest risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people.

Following a consumer complaint, the FDA began an investigation of the Family Dollar distribution facility in West Memphis, Arkansas, in January 2022. Family Dollar ceased distribution of products within days of the FDA inspection team’s arrival on-site and the inspection concluded on Feb. 11. 

Conditions observed during the inspection included live rodents, dead rodents in various states of decay, 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. 

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As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are not issued until a company has been given months to years to correct problems.

Dollar Tree Inc.
Chesapeake, VA

Dollar Tree Inc. of Virginia is on notice from the FDA for the unsanitary conditions of their distribution center, including a rodent infestation.

In a Nov. 8, 2022, warning letter, the FDA described a Jan. 11 through Feb. 11, 2022, inspection of Dollar Tree Inc.’s Family Dollar Distribution Inc. in West Memphis, AR.

The FDA’s inspection revealed that the firm had serious violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) and applicable regulations, and resulted in the issuance of an FDA Form 483. 

The firm initiated a voluntary recall of certain products regulated by the FDA that were stored and shipped to 404 stores from Family Dollar Distribution Inc., in West Memphis, Arkansas from Jan 1, 2021, through March 18, 2022, due to the presence of rodents and rodent activity at the Family Dollar Distribution Center.

In the firm’s May 6, 2022, response letter, they stated that they are permanently closing the West Memphis facility.

Some of the significant violations are as follows:

Adulterated Human Foods and Dietary Supplements

The inspection of the firm’s facility revealed serious violations of FDA’s regulations for Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Foods. These violations cause the firm’s human food and dietary supplement products to be adulterated in that their products consist in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance, or if it is otherwise unfit for food and in that they have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health. 

1. The firm did not take effective measures to exclude pests from their holding areas and to protect against contamination of food on the premises by pests as required. Specifically, FDA investigators observed evidence of rodent activity, including live rodents, dead rodents in various states of decay, rodent excreta pellets (REPs) in numbers too numerous to count (TNTC), gnaw marks in food and food packaging, nesting material, and odors indicative of rodent infestation throughout the entire facility including areas where human food, including dietary supplements, are routinely stored. Below are some examples of the observations made by the investigators: 

• Four rat carcasses on the conveyer belt along the south wall of the facility by aisles (redacted) and (redacted)

• Significant gnawings, REPs TNTC, and a strong odor of rodent urine and excreta on a pallet containing (redacted) cases of mixed nuts stored in rack location (redacted). Multiple bags of product were gnawed open, and product was spilling out of cases onto lower levels of the pallet. Gnawings and spilled product could be seen from the top (redacted) layer down to the 3rd layer of the pallet. 

• REP and (redacted) hair on top of a pallet of Vitamin C 1000 mg dietary supplements.

• Approximately 15 REPs on a pallet of flour located in rack location (redacted). Eleven of the (redacted) cases stored on the pallet contained product with gnawings. While investigators unstacked the pallet, two mice exited from gnawed-open product bags stacked on the bottom layer of the pallet and ran west under the north end of aisle (redacted).

• Approximately 30 REPs in and around a pallet containing (redacted) cardboard cases with twelve 5.6-ounce pouches of Chicken Flavor Rice & Pasta Blend product stored in rack location (redacted). This pallet also had nesting material and tunneling in between the bottom layers 1 and 2 of the pallet and at the top ((redacted)) layer. Approximately 20 of the cases on the pallet contained significant rodent gnawings.

• Four rats crossing aisle (redacted) from east to west near the south side of the aisle and two more rats crossing aisle (redacted) from west to east near the south side of the aisle. Food is stored along the entirety of the floor levels of aisles (redacted).

• At least 5 rats were noted in rack location (redacted), which is in the northeast corner of one of the two food storage areas in the facility. Rats were climbing through the pallet in this rack location and climbing up rack scaffolding to reach upper levels.

• A strong foul odor/stench of dead and decaying rodents, rodent pellets, and evidence of rodents nesting in and around the Inventory Control Center (ICC) and the breakroom, which is located directly north of food aisles (redacted). According to firm management, the General Manager closed the ICC and breakroom in Oct. 2021 because of complaints related to strong odors associated with dead rodents. Inspectors observed that the ICC was cleared out and closed off, and a putrid odor continued to permeate the room. The breakroom above the ICC was closed and rodent nesting materials were in front of the entrance.

• Apparent bird droppings were observed on chocolate protein shakes and Vitamin C supplement drops and on the floor near the northeast side of the small food storage racks by the shipping area ((redacted) and (redacted), respectively). 

• Two dead birds were observed within the facility. One bird was caught in netting hung from the roof above pallets of breakfast cereals. The second was observed on the east side of the mezzanine level under part of the old conveyor system.

In addition to visual observations, FDA documented the following findings: 

• FDA collected several samples during the inspection. These samples included human food products and an animal food product, product packaging, and a filth sample. These samples were submitted to FDA labs for analysis. FDA’s analysis found the presence of urine, gnaw marks in the packaging, rodent hairs, and/or REPs in these samples. Further, the filth sample included REPs and nesting materials collected from all four corners and the center of the warehouse (including the center of each of the two food areas), demonstrating the rodent population was throughout the facility.

• FDA conducted a review of the firm’s pest control records. Reports from their pest control company documented the capture of between 16 and 107 rodents for all months of 2020 and Jan.– June of 2021. In addition, the firm’s maintenance team conducted additional monitoring and tracking of rodent captures made in large bait boxes and glue traps placed by their pest control company along the pick-slot level of aisles (redacted). Between the dates of March 29, 2021 to Sept. 17, 2021, the firm documented over 2,300 rodent captures. Following a facility fumigation between Jan. 16 – 20, 2022, approximately 1,100 rodent carcasses were “harvested” or removed from their facility by firm employees and their pest control company.

• According to internal emails reviewed during the inspection, the firm was contacted by stores as far back as Dec. 8, 2020, sharing their observations of rodent activity in deliveries of food products from the distribution center. Specifically, throughout 2021, retail stores serviced by the West Memphis distribution center emailed complaints of receiving food products gnawed by rodents, nesting materials inside of packages, and case containing both live and dead rodents from the distribution center. 

2. The firm did not maintain buildings, fixtures, and other physical facilities of their plant in a clean and sanitary condition and in repair adequate to prevent food from becoming adulterated as required. Specifically, unsanitary conditions were observed throughout their facility demonstrating that sanitation and cleaning operations were not conducted in a manner that protects against contamination of food. These unsanitary conditions provided food sources and pest harborage areas for rodents and other pests. In addition, inadequate maintenance to parts of the facility allowed for potential pest entry and harborage areas within the facility. The following are examples of insanitary conditions that were observed:

• Investigators observed spilled breakfast cereal, spilled Chicken Flavor Rice & Pasta Blend product, spilled all-purpose flour, spilled popcorn, and spilled sunflower seeds. All products had REPs mixed in with spilled product. Fluorescing stains were observed in and around the packaging for spilled flour and popcorn.

• Accumulations of trash and debris in multiple locations, including the old conveyor system located in the mezzanine level and in the “Junk Yard” portion of the warehouse, which contains maintenance equipment. 

• Open packages of baby wipes were observed in the warehouse with fluorescent stains indicative of urea or urine. 

• Following the fumigation of the facility, the inadequate sanitation practices became more apparent as dead pests were observed in various states of decay throughout the facility. These observations included, but are not limited to:

o Multiple dead rodents found near slots (redacted) and #(redacted).

o Dead rodents along the north wall, near the ICC and breakroom, on March 7, 2022. One was caught in a snap trap zip tied to a metal beam next to dock door (redacted) and the other was behind a metal beam against the outer wall. 

o A dead bird below part of the old conveyor system on March 7, 2022.

The following are examples of inadequate maintenance conditions that were observed:

• Gaps were found along the top of the compactor that is meant to create a seal between the compactor and the exterior wall of the facility. Additionally, holes were observed in the compactor sidewall ranging from an estimated 1 inch to 12 inches on both the north and south facing sides allowing for potential pest entry. The compactor has a (redacted) door for access from the inside of the firm that is left open during business hours. While this door is open, the gaps and holes present the potential for pest entry into the facility. 

• Multiple dock doors were observed to have gaps allowing for potential entry of pests into the facility. More specifically, receiving doors (redacted) and (redacted) had gaps up to 3 inches in length and 1 inch in height around the doors, and receiving doors (redacted), (redacted) and (redacted) were observed to have gaps at least 2 inches in height and 6 inches in length. Shipping doors (redacted) and (redacted) were observed to have approximately 2-inch gaps running the entirety of each side of the dock plates. 

• The firm began the decommissioning of a conveyor system. Parts of the decommissioned system were left in the mezzanine level where cobwebs, dirt, dust, and debris has built up under and around these parts. This equipment became a harborage area for rodents as evidenced by the observation of a dead rodent that was seen in between the conveyor belts of the “Upper West Side Belt” and investigators noting a foul odor indicative of dead and decaying animals in another section of what would be the “Upper Southside Belt.”

3. The firm did not keep grounds around the plant in a condition that would protect against the contamination of food as required. Specifically, they did not properly store equipment, remove litter and waste, and cut weeds or grass within the immediate vicinity of the plant that may constitute an attractant, breeding place, or harborage for pests, as required. For example, throughout the inspection, FDA investigators observed the following conditions:

• Large amounts of trash (including food trash), wood from pallets, and debris were piled below dock doors and along the shipping and receiving area walls of the facility.

• Piled-up trash extending approximately 2 feet out from the walls of the facility. 

• Large amounts of food trash and dirt piled below and surrounding the compactor that appeared to have spilled from a breach in the side panel of the compactor.

• Throughout the inspection, piles of food next to or spilling out of the large open-top dumpsters located on the west side of the shipping dock.

Additional Considerations

The corporation received a Warning Letter (ent to Greenbrier International Inc. doing business as Dollar Tree) on Nov. 6, 2019, for the receipt and delivery or proffered delivery of adulterated drugs. Of particular concern, the Warning Letter detailed FDA evidence that Dollar Tree, parent company of Family Dollar, distributed drugs that were manufactured at a facility where rodent feces were found throughout. In light of these two separate incidents involving significant rodent infestations in their supply chain, the FDA recommends that Family Dollar take steps to evaluate whether there are additional issues with rodent infestation in their drug supply chain. 

The FDA reviewed the firms written responses but do not see a need to discuss their responses further in light of their decision to close the facility.

If the firm plans to resume the preparing, packing or holding of FDA regulated articles for distribution at this facility, the FDA requests that they notify the FDA of their plans in writing. 

The full warning letter can be viewed here.

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The Dollar General Corporation’s “dollar stores” are sometimes used by researchers as a poverty indicator and this year a corner of those  more than 18,000 locations in the continental United States were called out for rodents and other sanitation problems.  And a federal grand jury has joined these investigations.

Dollar Stores with problems were connected with the Family Dollar distribution center in West Memphis, AR. This includes Dollar Tree stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. This is the area where Dollar Tree Distribution Inc. recalled all food and certain other products because of potential exposure to rodents.

In response to the recent  inspections, the Eastern District of Arkansas has reportedly issued a federal grand jury subpoena for more information from Dollar. The grand jury is seeking information on the pest and sanitation issues that led to last month’s recall of drugs, cosmetics, human food and animal foods from 404 stores in six U.S. states.

Dollar has confirmed it has received the subpoena and said it  it incurred a $34.1 million loss because of the recall.

The February recall came after January’s ’s FDA warning to consumers to throw out products from “Family Dollar” stores in a number of categories, including human food, because of a severe rodent infestation in the West Memphis distribution facility.

“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 Sept. 17, 2021, demonstrating a history of infestation,” according to the FDA’s public warning.

The inspection reports from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that are the basis for the public health warning and product recall are now public documents.

Those documents describe the West Memphis facility as a multiple food storage warehouse and distribution center, used since 1994. Dollar Tree  bought the warehouse and distribution center about 4 years ago. Family Dollar Distribution is based in Matters, NC.

Before the current rodent infestations, the West Memphis facility was last inspected by FDA in 2017. No “significantly objectiveable conditions” were found at that time. Pest control  records review found “no abnorml pest activity” during the previous year.

Reports from 2022 inspections are much more concerning. Some of the findings include:

  • The company did not exclude pests from its food plant to protect against contamination of food.
  • Specifically, during this inspection we observed rodent evidence, including live rodents, dead rodents of various states of decay, rodent excreta pellets (REFs), gnawings, nesting and odors indicative of rodents throughout the entire facility, including areas where human food is routinely stored…
  • The inspection team observed a live rat possibility chasing live mouse from east to west across the aisle.
  • Significant gnawings and the strong odor of rodent urine on pallets of mix nuts were also documented.
  • There were numerous REPs on equipment and floors.
  • Grounds around the facility were not in a condition to protect against the contamination of  food.
  • Rubber seals around piping and wiring had holes.
  • Animal food was not property stored to protect against contamination.
  • Measures were not being taken to exclude pests from the facility.
  • Buildings were not in a clean and sanitary condition.

A half dozen FDA personnel helped conduct the inspection, which ran from Jan.11, 2022 to Feb. 11, 2022.

Dollar has been in the grocery business since 2003. It added the low-cost Asian market a year later when it opened a sourcing office in Hong Kong.

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An Ohio family infected with the dangerous E. coli O157:H7 bacteria did not consume all of a multi-pound chub of ground beef that was a possible source of their illnesses, and what was left of the beef was found in their freezer by Butler County Health Department investigators.

When the Ohio Department of Agriculture found that the meat tested positive for O157:H7, it set off Tuesday’s national recall of approximately 131,300 pounds of ground beef from Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. in Emporia, KS.

Four children from the Ohio family became ill between Sept. 8 and 11 after eating the ground beef, and one was hospitalized for about 10 days. Butler County Health Director Pat Burg said the child has since been released.

Meanwhile, the Health Department is setting up a hotline to field questions and to determine if there are any other victims of the recalled, contaminated beef.

Packaged and sold under the Kroger, Butcher’s Beef and generic brands, the recalled ground beef carried a “best before or freeze by” date of Sept. 12, 2011.  None of the beef remains in stores, but because it was sold in three and five pound chubs (chubs are packaged tubes of ground meat), the recalled ground beef could be in home freezers.

The recalled products include:

— Five pound chubs of Kroger-brand ground beef, 73 percent lean/ 27 percent fat, with a product code of D-0211 QW, shipped to distribution centers in Tennessee and Indiana.

-Three pound chubs of Butcher’s Beef brand ground beef, 73 percent lean/27 percent fat, ID code D-0211 LWIF, shipped to distribution centers in North and South Carolina for retail sale.

— Three pound chubs of generic label ground beef, 73 percent / 27percent fat, ID code D-0211 LWI, for distribution in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin for retail sale.

There is an ink jetted number “245D” printed along the package seams.

The product was produced by Tyson on Aug. 23. Kroger has said it will have in-store signs notifying customers of the recall and will notify its loyalty card holders of the recall by email or telephone. Cashier receipts will also include the recall information.

The Butcher’s Beef brand meat went to Food Lion stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia and West Virginia, and to Bottom Dollar Food stores in North Carolina, Food Lion said in a news release.

For the USDA’s retail distribution list check here.

Tyson’s recall is the second largest of 2011 for E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Earlier this year, eight other companies recalled a total of 312,268 pounds of meat. So far, the largest recall for E. coli contamination was 228,596 pounds of meat called back by Cincinnati’s Tri State Beef.

  

The USDA’s quarterly report of enforcement activities by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is topped off by the criminal conviction of Antillio Graniello.

The U.S. District Court for the Nothern District of Georgia convicted and sentenced Graniello to six months in prison on June 27. He was an official of Amigos Meat Distributors in Atlanta. Graniello previously was indicted and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts. One was for causing poultry products to become adulterated and misbranded, and the other for forging an official device and mark in violation of federal law.

The latest quarterly enforcement report is for the third federal fiscal period, covering the time from April 1 to June 30, 2019.

FSIS pursued an adjudicatory action against New Orleans-based Bridge Foods Inc. during the period. FSIS previously filed a complaint to refuse and withdraw USDA inspection services over repetitive violations, both statutory and regulatory. At issue were Sanitation Performance Standards (SPS), Hazard Analysis, and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and procedures to control Listeria monocytogenes (Lm).

But on April 30, an administrative law judge dismissed the FSIS action after Bridge Foods voluntarily ceased asking for inspections.

FSIS also filed a complaint to withdraw federal inspection services from Southeastern Provision LLC in Bean Station, TN, related to repetitive statutory and regulatory violations.

Owner James M. Brantley had pleaded guilty to federal charges of willful failure to collect or pay taxes, wire fraud, and the unlawful employment of unauthorized aliens. A judge later sent him to federal prison for six months.

On April 2 Southeastern Provision LLC entered into Consent Decree and Order with FSIS, outlining how inspection services may resume at the company. Before the inspections can resume, the order calls for the following to occur:

  • Revision of food safety plans,
  • Implementation of Escherichia coli Biotype 1, E. coli O157: H7 and STECs sampling and testing,
  • Address Specified Risk Materials,
  • Appoint a plant manager,
  • Appoint a food safety coordinator,
  • Complete a third-party audit,
  • Develop a compliance program, including ethics and business codes,
  • Provide ethics training,
  • Implement record keeping.

In a plea agreement for the criminal case, Brantley admitted to hiring illegal aliens as workers going back to the 1980s and paying them in cash at sharply reduced rates.

In another civil action in April, Houston’s Champion Food Service Inc. reached a Civil Penalty Stipulation Agreement with FSIS. It agreed to pay a stipulated civil penalty of $550 for violations of the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA).

In other civil actions, Suha Meas and Kay-Wo Zhang, owners of the Asian Market in Lancaster, PA, entered into a Stipulated Order with the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Pennsylvania. Meas and Zhang agreed to pay $2,100 in civil fines and reimburse $800 in costs for breaching a previous Consent Decree. The U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania approved the deal.

Chien Hong Pham, owner, and Thomas Pham, manager, of the Kim Long Market LLC in Malden, MA, were permanently enjoined from committing violations of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA). The U.S. District Court for Massachusetts signed off on the Permanent Injunction. Previously, FSIS filed a complaint against the defendants for repeated FMIA violations.

FSIS filed a complaint on April 4 against Amos Miller and Miller’s Organic Farm in Bird-in-Hand, PA, for violations of the federal meat and poultry inspections acts. Miller is contesting the charges in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The dispute won’t end until late this year at the earliest.

The U.S.District Court for the Eastern District of California approved a Consent Decree between Transhumance Holding Co. and FSIS.

The two-year agreement covers humane handling, including hiring a hiring coordinator, and slaughter compliance, including training and audit procedures. The holding company does business as Ellensburg Lamb Co. and Superior Farms, both based in Dixon, CA.

FSIS inspectors performed 1.76 million verification procedures during the quarter, resulting in 26,299 instances of documented noncompliance for a 98.5 percent compliance rate.

During the period, the private establishments inspected by FSIS filed 249 appeals of noncompliance actions. By the end of the quarter, FSIS granted 86 requests; denied 73, and left 47 pending. Another 43 resulted in some form of modification.

FSIS inspected less imported meat and poultry products during the quarter, but the number of pounds refused was up. In both previous quarters, FSIS re-inspected more than 1 billion pounds of meat and poultry products during each period.

For the recent period, however, the total fell to 958.6 million pounds. But, 14.6 million pounds were refused, up from 6.7 and 10.7 million pounds in the two previous fiscal quarters.

Livestock slaughter continued at an even pace with 40.063 million carcasses inspected, up a tick from 40.025 million during the previous period. Poultry carcass inspections, however, reached more than 2.421 billion for the quarter, the highest level for FY 2019.

The Office of Investigation, Enforcement, and Audit (OIEA) report 66 detention actions during the period, resulting in 287,311 pounds of meat, poultry, and eggs detained in enforcement actions.

OIEA also sent warning notices to 257 businesses during the period.

Prohibited activity notices during the quarter went to two 7-Eleven outlets in Chicago, Casey’s General Store in Jamestown, ND, Family Dollar in Fountain, CO, HEB Headquarters in San Antonio, Safeway in San Francisco, Sopakco Inc. in Mullins, SC, and U.S. Cold Storage in McDonough, GA.

Prohibited activity notices also apparently went out to gas stations and “C-Stops” in the Charlotte, MI, area.

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UPDATED: A spokeswoman for SHOP ‘n SAVE told Food Safety News that none of its independently owned and operated stores serviced out of the Pittsburgh distribution facility, including stores in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Ohio, are affected by this recall.

The USDA has identified retailers, including Walmart, Kroger, and Target, that received part of more than 11 million pounds of recalled Tyson chicken strips. Eleven brands and several flavors are involved. Three people have reported injuries from metal pieces in the products.

Other well-known chains such as CVS, Family Dollar, Hy-Vee, Meijer, Piggly Wiggly, Publix and Wegmans are on the retailer list. To view all of the products included in the recall, please click here.

Click on the image to view other product labels submitted to the USDA.

“The problem was discovered when FSIS received two consumer complaints of extraneous material in the chicken strip products. FSIS is now aware of six complaints during this time frame involving similar pieces of metal with three alleging oral injury,”

Click on the image to see the product labels that were provided to the USDA.

according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

Government officials are concerned consumers, commercial kitchen operators, and military kitchen supervisors may unknowingly have the recalled Tyson chicken strips in their freezers because of their long shelf life. The products have “Use By Dates” of Oct. 1, 2019, through March 7, 2020.

“Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” according to an expanded recall notice posted May 4 by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The 11 million pound recall of chicken strips is separate from one posted June 7 by the FSIS for 190,000 pounds of Tyson frozen chicken “fritters.” The June 7 recall was initiated because of complaints about plastic pieces. At least three schools filed complaints about the chicken fritters, but no injuries have been reported.

The chicken strips retailer list, posted June 11 by the USDA, relates to a recall that was originally posted March 21 and expanded on May 4 to include 11 million pounds of products. The initial recall notice was for 69,000 pounds of chicken strips. In addition to nationwide distribution in the United States, Tyson also shipped the implicated chicken strips to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Bermuda, and St. Maarten.

The 32 retailers identified Tuesday as having received the Tyson chicken strips, and the dozens of states where they sold the products are:

  • Big Lots — DE, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WI, WV
  • CVS — AR, CA, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NE, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, WV
  • Dollar General — AR, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, WI, WV
  • Drug Mart — OH
  • Family Dollar — IL, IN, MI
  • Fareway — IA, MN, NE, SD
  • Food 4 Less — CA, IL, IN
  • Foodsco — CA
  • Fry’s Food and Drug — AZ
  • Fry’s Marketplace — AZ
  • HEB — TX
  • Homeland — KS, OK
  • Hy-Vee — IA, IL, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, WI
  • Jay C — IN
  • Kroger — IL, IN, KY, MI, MO, OH, WV
  • Kroger Marketplace — IN, KY, MI, OH
  • Marcs — OH
  • Marianos — IL
  • Meijer — IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, WI
  • Pick n Save — WI
  • Piggly Wiggly — IL, WI
  • Publix — AL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA
  • Ralph’s — CA
  • Ralph’s Fresh Fare — CA
  • Shop N Save — MD, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV
  • Shopper’s Food — MD, VA
  • Smith’s — AZ, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY
  • Target — AZ, CA, HI, IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NV, SD, UT, WI, WY
  • Walgreens — IL, IN, MI, NY
  • Walmart — CT, DC, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, VA, VT, WI, WV
  • Wegmans — MA, NY, PA
  • WinCo — AZ, CA, ID, MT, NV, OK, OR, TX, UT, WA

Anyone who believes they have suffered injuries because of the recalled Tyson-produced chicken products should seek medical attention.

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Good 'n' Fun dog treatsSalix Animal Health LLC of Deerfield, FL, has expanded its recall of “Good ‘n’ Fun – Beefhide Chicken Sticks” because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. Sampling conducted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of Salmonella in an additional lot of this product. In an abundance of caution, Salix Animal Health is expanding its original recall from Sept. 30 to include the tested lot and others made around the same time. This expanded recall affects Good ‘n’ Fun – Beefhide Chicken Sticks only. No other Salix product is affected by this announcement. The recalled Good ‘n’ Fun – Beefhide Chicken Sticks were distributed nationwide to Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar retail stores. The recalled product is packaged in a 2.8-ounce bag stamped on the back side with an item code number of 82247 and with an expiration date ranging from 02/2018- 07/2018. The UPC code is 0 91093 82247 1 as shown in the table below.

Brand Size Description UPC Code Item No. Expiration
Good ‘n’ Fun 2.8 oz Beefhide Chicken Sticks 091093822471 82247 02/2018 03/2018 04/2018 05/2018 06/2018 07/2018

The company stated that it is taking steps to prevent the problem from happening again and is working with retailers to ensure that the recalled product is removed from inventory and no longer sold. Customers should look at the item number and expiration date on the product package to determine if it is subject to the voluntary recall. Customers who have purchased the product subject to this recall are urged to dispose of the product or return it for full refund. Anyone who has these products may contact Salix Animal Health’s consumer affairs team at 1-800-338-4896, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. (ET) for a refund. Customers with questions may call the consumer affairs team at the number listed above. Salmonella can affect animals who eat contaminated products and there is a potential risk to humans if they come in contact with Salmonella from handling contaminated products. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some, or all, of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers. Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy, pets can be carriers of Salmonella and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

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In an attempt to help consumers understand the situation surrounding Rancho Feeding Corporation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has posted an update to the recall site. The page informs consumers that inspection personnel were on-site during normal operations, but due to the ongoing investigation by the USDA Office of the Inspector General, FSIS can’t give any further comment on “the company’s intermittent circumvention of inspection requirements that may have occurred over an extended period of time.” FSIS has received no reports of illness from consumption of these products. A year’s worth of meat – approximately 8.7 million pounds – was recalled by Petaluma, CA, processor Rancho Feeding Corporation in February for lacking a full federal inspection. Many of the carcasses that were the subject of the recall were shipped to other establishments, where they were processed into smaller cuts and sold. Some of this meat was included in processed products such as frozen entrees. FSIS has since followed the path of the recalled product as the cuts were sold for processed food. The agency’s March 8 list of retailers included more than 5,800 specific retailers in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico. There are another 171 “Nationwide, State-Wide, or Area-Wide Distribution” locations listed that include 7-11, Albertsons, Family Dollar, Kroger, Piggly-Wiggly, Walgreens and various gas stations. Shell and Target are the two stores with locations listed as “nationwide.” Consumers who have shopped at one of the establishments on the list should contact that store’s manager to see if product they purchased is part of the recall. As of March 20, 2014, FSIS has completed all checks and determined that the recall activities were effective. There will be no further additions to the distribution list, but, in an effort to make the information as accessible as possible, it will remain in the “active” section of the FSIS recalls website.

(This article was updated March 10 with information from USDA’s March 8 list of retailers.) The U.S. Department of Agriculture now believes that the approximately 8.7 million pounds of meat recalled by Petaluma, CA, processor Rancho Feeding Corporation and lacking a full federal inspection was shipped to distribution centers and retail establishments nationwide. The Class 1 recall initially stated that the recalled products had been shipped to distribution centers and retail establishments in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas. The current list of distributors published by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) includes more than 5,800 specific retailers (a previous version listed more than 6,300) in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico. There are another 171 “Nationwide, State-Wide, or Area-Wide Distribution” locations listed that include 7-11, Albertsons, Family Dollar, Kroger, Piggly-Wiggly, Walgreens and various gas stations. Shell and Target are the two stores with locations listed as “nationwide.” FSIS reissued the recall release on Feb. 18, stating that the update is “a consequence of a properly working recall process.” “When the recall release was first issued on February 8, FSIS was unable to ascertain the extent of the establishments involved,” the notice reads. “As the establishments were notified, the list of States affected grew.” In the March 8 update, more than 2,300 stores are listed for California, the state with the most retailers. Among the additional “Nationwide, State-Wide, or Area-Wide Distribution” locations in California are about 60 chains including 7-11, Chevron, Family Dollar, Food 4 Less, Rite Aide, Safeway, Walgreens and Winco. Nestlé has also recalled some of its Hot Pockets sandwiches because, although the company did not purchase meat directly from Rancho, “a small quantity of meat from Rancho was used at Nestlé’s Chatsworth, California production operation.” The following Rancho Feeding Corporation products are subject to recall:

  • “Beef Carcasses” (wholesale and custom sales only)
  • 2 per box “Beef (Market) Heads” (retail only)
  • 4-gallons per box “Beef Blood” (wholesale only)
  • 20-lb. boxes of “Beef Oxtail”
  • 30-lb. boxes of “Beef Cheeks”
  • 30-lb. boxes of ” Beef Lips”
  • 30-lb. boxes of “Beef Omasum”
  • 30-lb. boxes of “Beef Tripas”
  • 30-lb. boxes of “Mountain Oysters”
  • 30-lb. boxes of “Sweet Breads”
  • 30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Beef Liver”
  • 30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Beef Tripe”
  • 30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Beef Tongue”
  • 30- and 60-lb. boxes of “Veal Cuts”
  • 40-lb. boxes of “Veal Bones”
  • 50-lb. boxes of “Beef Feet”
  • 50-lb. boxes of “Beef Hearts”
  • 60-lb. boxes of “Veal Trim”

Beef carcasses and boxes bear the establishment number “EST. 527” inside the USDA mark of inspection. Each box bears the case code number ending in “3” or “4.” The products were produced Jan. 1, 2013, through Jan. 7, 2014, and shipped to distribution centers and retail establishments nationwide. FSIS has received no reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.