The Arkansas state attorney general is suing the value-store chain Family Dollar, claiming the company knew of a “massive and long-lasting” rodent infestation at a West Memphis distribution center but still continued to sell potentially contaminated products that were stored there.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday, came after the company temporarily shut down more than 400 stores in February following a Food and Drug Administration inspection that found “a history of infestation” at the facility.
A fumigation completed in January revealed the presence of more than 1,100 dead rodents. Internal company records indicated that more than 2,300 rodents had been collected between March and September of 2021, according to an F.D.A. report.
Federal inspectors said the company was aware of an “increased presence of rodents” in the facility since at least January 2020.