"Rat carcasses on the conveyor belt": Inside Family Dollar's rodent-infested warehouse

Family Dollar closed more than 400 stores last month after more than 1,000 dead rodents were found at one of its distribution facilities. Now, details about the infestation are coming to light in a 22-page FDA inspection report that cited problems ranging from "four rat carcasses on the conveyor belt" to rodent droppings "too numerous to count."

Several products sold at Family Dollar stores in six states were voluntarily recalled, the Food and Drug Administration said last month. On Wednesday, Family Dollar parent company Dollar Tree said the product recall and store closures resulted in a cost of $34 million. It also revealed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange filing that it is facing several proposed class-action lawsuits over the infestation and recalls. 

The FDA report noted the company had been aware of the presence of rodents in the West Memphis, Arkansas, facility since at least January 2020. In October 2021, a fire drill sent "dozens of rats" scurrying around the facility due to the loud sound, the agency said.