Why did an inspector shut down Dollar Tree in Waveland? Here’s what the report says.
A cease and desist order was issued March 11 after an inspection of the Dollar Tree on U.S. 90 in Waveland found food packages at the store had been “adulterated.”
The inspector said in part in his report “the violations present a clear and present danger to the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of this state, requiring immediate action.”
The store was closed and a sign posted that says a Department of Agriculture inspection found one or more critical food sanitation issue.
Two products identified as adulterated were a package of Tastykake Honeybun pastries and a 15 ounce bag of Ashland Farms cat food.
The report didn’t specify how the products were adulterated or if bugs or rodents were present, which is something noted on restaurant inspections in Mississippi.
Dollar Tree was cited for violating section 69-1-18 of the Mississippi Code of 1972 that deals with rules and regulations for conducting sanitation inspections in retail food stores.
When the store is in compliance, the cease and desist order will be lifted, the order said.
The closure of the Waveland store comes after more than 1,000 rats and dead birds were found in February at a Family Dollar distribution center in Arkansas.
The center distributes food and products to 404 Family Dollar Stores across Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Tennessee.
Dollar Tree owns Family Dollar and in several places the stores share the same building. Family Dollar and Dollar Trees stores across several states were forced to close.
Family Dollar did a voluntary recall of various products at its stores in February. Among those products were food, vitamins, medical products, cosmetics and skincare products, pet foods and bird seed.
Two Family Dollar stores in the Lyman area of Gulfport and Hattiesburg were closed at that time for clean-up. The Waveland store was not on the list of stores forced to close at that time.
