Federal judge enters consent decree against Arkansas food and medical product grocery warehouse for insanitary conditions

Federal judge enters consent decree against Arkansas food and medical product grocery warehouse for insanitary conditions

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas ordered J and L Grocery, LLC. of Alma, Arkansas, the company’s owner, James T. White, and its manager, Lori A. Layne, to stop distributing food, drug products, medical devices and cosmetics until the company complies with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and other requirements listed in a consent decree. According to the amended complaint, J and L Grocery held FDA-regulated products under insanitary conditions in which they may have become contaminated with filth, including widespread insect, rodent and other live animal infestation, in violation of federal law.

During the FDA’s inspection of J and L Grocery in September-October 2018, investigators observed multiple live and dead rodents, rodent nesting, live racoons, live cats, a dead possum, animal feces and urine-stained products in and around the company’s seven warehouses and sheds used to store food, medical products and cosmetics. The FDA issued two Administrative Detention Orders at J and L Grocery, dated October 9 and 19, 2018. On November 7 and 8, 2018, the U.S. Marshals Service conducted a  mass seizure of the company’s FDA-regulated human and animal food products, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, cosmetic products and medical devices.

For more information, please visit: J and L Grocery Consent Decree.