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Y’all some nasty ass muthaf***as, Family Dollar.
The United States Department of Justice put the discount chain on FULL blast today when they announced in a press release that the company has been slapped with the “largest ever monetary criminal penalty in [a] food safety matter”. Ever?? Do you have any idea what some of these food service companies have been sued for throughout American history? For this to be the biggest penalty ever is saying a whole lot and when you read what was going on, most of you will likely agree.
Family Dollar Stores LLC pleaded guilty to illegally storing food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics in unsanitary conditions after a rat infestation was discovered in their West Memphis, Arkansas warehouse facility. A. Rat. In. Fest. Tation.
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In a plea agreement, Family Dollar agreed to pay a $41.675 million penalty and come into compliance with a bevy of federal reporting regulations over three years. Beginning in August 2020, more than 400 stores in Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee received tainted shipments of products that either had rodent damage or actual rodents. In January 2021, company employees were aware of the issues but despite this knowledge, continued to ship products for an entire year until January 2022 when the FDA uncovered “live rodents, dead and decaying rodents, rodent feces, urine, and odors, and evidence of gnawing and nesting throughout the facility”.
Have you vomited yet?
Prosecuting attorneys did not bite their tongue when it came to Family Dollar’s disgusting business practices.
“Companies distributing and selling food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics must ensure that these products are being held in safe and sanitary conditions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to work closely with the FDA to investigate and prosecute those who put public health at risk by failing to meet this important obligation.”
“Consumers trust that products purchased from retail stores such as Family Dollar are safe,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “It is incomprehensible that Family Dollar knew about the rodent and pest issues at its distribution center in Arkansas but continued to ship products that were unsafe and insanitary [sp]. Knowingly selling these types of products not only places the public’s health at risk but erodes the trust consumers have in the products they purchase.
After reading all that, $41.675 million doesn’t seem nearly enough.
