FDA Latest Recall, Tylenol, Advil, Motrin and 2,000 Products Contaminated With Rodent Feces and Bird Droppings—Destroy Immediately

The FDA issued an urgent recall on December 26, 2025, affecting nearly 2,000 products including Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, Pringles, JIF peanut butter, Haribo gummy bears, and Purina pet food after discovering rodent feces, rodent urine, and bird droppings throughout a Minneapolis warehouse where these products were stored. Products were distributed to 54 stores in Minnesota, Indiana, and North Dakota between August 1 and November 24, 2025. Consumers must destroy affected products immediately—do not return them to stores. Refunds available by calling Gold Star Distribution at 612-617-9800.

You grabbed a bottle of Tylenol for a headache. Fed your dog Purina kibble. Snacked on Pringles while watching TV. What you didn’t see? According to FDA inspectors, those products may have been stored in a warehouse crawling with rodents and contaminated with animal waste.

This isn’t a recall of one bad batch. It’s a sweeping contamination crisis affecting thousands of everyday products Americans trust—all because one distribution facility in Minneapolis failed basic sanitation standards.

What the FDA Found at Gold Star Distribution

FDA inspectors walked into Gold Star Distribution’s Minneapolis facility and discovered conditions they described as “insanitary”—regulatory speak for “absolutely disgusting.”

The violations included rodent excrement scattered throughout storage areas, rodent urine contaminating surfaces where products were kept, and bird droppings in areas housing medications, food, pet food, and cosmetics.

These weren’t isolated incidents in a corner of the warehouse. The FDA determined contamination risks existed wherever products were stored, creating what regulators called “significant risk that products held at the facility may have been contaminated with filth and harmful microorganisms.”

Products stored under these conditions can become contaminated through direct contact with filthy surfaces or exposure to airborne particles from animal waste—meaning your sealed bottle of Tylenol or unopened bag of chips could carry dangerous bacteria.

Every Product Category Is Affected

The recall isn’t limited to one type of product. Gold Star distributed everything, and the FDA ordered everything recalled:

Over-the-Counter Medications:

• Tylenol (acetaminophen)
• Advil and Motrin (ibuprofen)
• Aleve (naproxen)
• Benadryl (antihistamine)
• Claritin (allergy relief)
• NyQuil and DayQuil (cold/flu relief)
• Pepto-Bismol (digestive aid)
• Excedrin (pain relief)
• Pepcid (heartburn relief)
• Alka-Seltzer

Packaged Foods:

• JIF peanut butter
• Pringles chips
• Ramen noodles
• Basmati rice and other rice products
• Cheerios and other cereals
• Ortega taco shells and sauce
• Saltine crackers
• Ragu pasta sauce
• Coffee Mate creamer
• Welch’s Grape Juice
• Gatorade

Candy and Snacks:

• Haribo gummy bears
• Skittles
• Sour Patch Kids
• Twix
• Snickers
• Reese’s
• M&Ms
• Jolly Ranchers
• Swedish Fish
• Life Savers

Pet Food:

• Purina dog and cat food products
• Various other pet food brands

Other Products:

• Cosmetics and personal care items
• Medical devices
• Dietary supplements (including male enhancement products, ginseng, honey supplements)
• Baby formula

The complete list spans over 40 pages and includes nearly 2,000 individual products with specific lot numbers and barcode information. You can view the full FDA list at fda.gov.

Where These Contaminated Products Were Sold

Gold Star distributed products to 54 retail locations across three states:

Minnesota (majority of distribution):

• Minneapolis
• St. Paul
• Rochester
• Bloomington
• Burnsville
• And dozens of other cities across the state

Indiana:

• Indianapolis area (limited distribution)

North Dakota:

• Fargo area (limited distribution)

Distribution occurred between August 1 and November 24, 2025. If you shopped at small grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, or markets in these areas during this timeframe, check your purchases against the FDA recall list.

One daycare center in Minnesota also received affected products, according to state health officials.

The Health Risks You’re Facing

The FDA didn’t issue this recall lightly. Exposure to products contaminated with rodent waste and bird droppings poses serious health risks:

Salmonella Infection

Salmonella bacteria thrive in animal feces. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), nausea, vomiting, and severe stomach cramps. For vulnerable populations—infants, young children, elderly people, pregnant women, and anyone with weakened immune systems—salmonella can be fatal. In rare cases, the infection spreads to the bloodstream and causes life-threatening complications like infected blood vessels and joint infections.

Leptospirosis

This bacterial infection spreads through contact with rodent urine. Early symptoms mimic the flu: fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting. Without treatment, leptospirosis can progress to kidney damage, liver failure, respiratory distress, and meningitis. Both humans and pets can contract leptospirosis from contaminated products.

Direct Contamination Risks

Products applied to skin or eyes (cosmetics, medical devices) can cause irritation, infection, or adverse reactions. Ingesting contaminated food or medication increases infection risks dramatically.

No illnesses have been reported yet, but given the distribution timeline (August through November 2025) and the time it takes for symptoms to develop, infections may still emerge.

What You Must Do Right Now

The FDA and Gold Star Distribution issued specific instructions consumers must follow:

Step 1: Check What You Have

Visit the FDA website and download the complete product list (over 40 pages). Check your medicine cabinet, pantry, refrigerator, and anywhere you store products purchased from small grocery stores or markets in Minnesota, Indiana, or North Dakota since August 2025.

Step 2: Destroy Products Immediately

Do NOT return contaminated products to stores. Do NOT ship products back to Gold Star Distribution. The FDA explicitly instructs consumers to destroy affected products as soon as possible.

Why? Returning products to stores could expose store employees and other shoppers to contamination. Shipping products back creates additional contamination risks during handling and transport.

Step 3: Verify Destruction and Request Refund

After destroying products, provide proof of destruction to Gold Star Distribution:

Mail to:
Gold Star Distribution, Inc.
1000 N. Humboldt Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55411

Call for refunds:
612-617-9800
(7 days a week, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time)

Gold Star will provide refunds upon request. Keep receipts showing when and where you purchased products if possible, though the company hasn’t specified documentation requirements yet.

Step 4: Monitor Your Health

If you consumed food or took medication from the recall list, watch for symptoms of salmonella or leptospirosis. Contact your doctor or healthcare provider immediately if you develop fever, diarrhea, vomiting, severe stomach pain, flu-like symptoms, or any unusual illness.

If your pet ate recalled pet food, monitor them closely and contact your veterinarian if they show signs of illness (vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, fever).

Step 5: Report Adverse Events

The FDA needs to know about any health problems caused by recalled products. Report adverse reactions through:

FDA MedWatch Online: accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch

By Phone: 1-800-332-1088 (request reporting form)

By Mail or Fax: 1-800-FDA-0178 (fax)

You can also use FDA’s SmartHub to report product quality issues, safety concerns, labeling problems, or facility violations.

Important: Not All Products Are Recalled

Here’s critical information the FDA emphasized: This recall ONLY applies to products stored at or distributed from Gold Star’s Minneapolis facility.

Products shipped directly to retail stores by manufacturers or other distributors—including all frozen and refrigerated items—are NOT included in this recall.

For example, if you bought Tylenol at Walgreens or Target, and those stores received shipments directly from the manufacturer (not through Gold Star), your Tylenol is fine. The recall only affects products that passed through Gold Star’s contaminated warehouse.

That’s why checking the comprehensive FDA product list with specific lot numbers and distribution details is essential. Don’t panic and throw out everything in your home—only discard products that match the recall criteria.

Why This Recall Matters Beyond Gold Star

Only 13% of Americans have ever visited a government website for food recall information, according to research from Rutgers University. Just 3% are subscribed to email or text alerts about recalls.

That means 97% of people affected by this recall might never know their medicine cabinet and pantry contain potentially contaminated products.

This recall also highlights a disturbing reality: Consumers have no way to know whether products were stored safely before reaching store shelves. You trust that the Tylenol you bought was manufactured, stored, and shipped under sanitary conditions. But when distributors fail basic cleanliness standards, that trust breaks down.

Gold Star’s violations allegedly persisted for months—products were distributed from August through November 2025 before the FDA discovered the contamination. How many people consumed these products during those months? How many might develop salmonella infections in coming weeks?

The FDA’s response has been appropriately aggressive: ordering immediate recall of everything stored at the facility. But the damage may already be done for consumers who purchased and used products before the recall announcement.

Could You Sue Gold Star Distribution?

The recall raises obvious questions about legal liability. If you or a family member becomes ill after consuming contaminated products, or if your pet develops health problems after eating contaminated pet food, you may have grounds for a product liability lawsuit.

Product liability claims can arise from contaminated food, defective drugs, or unsafe consumer products. You would need to prove you consumed a product from the recall list, that the product was contaminated, and that contamination caused your illness or injury.

Given the scope of this recall (nearly 2,000 products distributed to 54 stores over four months), class action litigation could emerge if multiple consumers report similar health problems.

Consumer protection statutes in Minnesota, Indiana, and North Dakota also prohibit selling adulterated products. Gold Star potentially violated state and federal food safety laws by distributing products stored under insanitary conditions.

Anyone who suffered harm should consult with a product liability attorney to explore legal options. Document everything: purchase receipts, product lot numbers, medical records showing illness, veterinary records if pets were affected, and any communications with Gold Star about refunds.

This Isn’t the Only FDA Drug Recall Right Now

While the Gold Star recall dominates headlines, another major pharmaceutical recall is also ongoing:

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals recalled nearly 40 generic medications in 2025 over manufacturing violations at a facility in India. That recall includes generic versions of Advil (ibuprofen), Tylenol (acetaminophen), Motrin, and Zyrtec, plus prescription drugs treating heart disease, diabetes, epilepsy, and psychiatric disorders.

The Glenmark recall is classified as Class II, meaning products could cause temporary or medically reversible health problems or have low risk of serious harm. The recall stems from violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) standards—rules ensuring medications are made safely and consistently.

If you take generic medications purchased from Walmart or Amazon, check lot numbers against the Glenmark recall list at the FDA website.

What Consumers Should Demand

Recalls like this expose systemic failures in product safety oversight. Consumers deserve better than discovering months after the fact that medications and food they consumed were stored alongside rodent feces.

Stronger FDA Inspection Protocols: How did Gold Star’s facility operate under filthy conditions for months without FDA intervention? More frequent, unannounced inspections of distribution facilities are needed.

Faster Recall Notifications: Four months passed between when contamination allegedly occurred and when consumers learned about it. Faster detection and notification systems could prevent illnesses.

Better Consumer Alert Systems: Only 3% of Americans subscribe to FDA recall alerts. The government needs more effective ways to reach affected consumers immediately when recalls occur.

Accountability for Violations: Gold Star faces potential legal liability, but will company executives face criminal charges for operating a facility under conditions that could kill vulnerable consumers? Stronger penalties might incentivize better compliance.

Don’t Become a Statistic

Most people won’t take action on this recall. They’ll read the headline, think “that’s terrible,” and do nothing. Meanwhile, contaminated products sit in their medicine cabinets and pantries.

Don’t be one of those people.

Take 10 minutes right now. Download the FDA product list. Check your purchases from the past few months against that list. Destroy anything that matches. Call Gold Star for your refund. Monitor your family’s health for the next few weeks.

This recall affects everyday products Americans use without a second thought. Make sure you’re not risking your family’s health because you didn’t check.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which specific brands are recalled? 

The recall includes Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, Claritin, NyQuil, Pringles, JIF peanut butter, Haribo candy, Purina pet food, and approximately 2,000 other products. Check the complete FDA list at fda.gov for specific lot numbers and barcodes.

How do I know if my Tylenol or Advil is recalled? 

Only products distributed through Gold Star’s Minneapolis facility are recalled. Check the FDA’s comprehensive product list which includes lot numbers, barcodes, and distribution details. Products shipped directly to major retailers like CVS, Walgreens, or Target from manufacturers are generally not affected.

What if I already consumed recalled food or took recalled medication? 

Monitor yourself for symptoms of salmonella (fever, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps) or leptospirosis (flu-like symptoms). Contact your doctor immediately if symptoms develop. Report adverse events to FDA MedWatch.

Can I return recalled products to the store? 

No. The FDA explicitly instructs consumers to destroy products immediately, not return them to stores. This prevents contaminating store employees and other shoppers.

How do I get a refund? 

Destroy the products, then contact Gold Star Distribution at 612-617-9800 (7 days/week, 8 AM-5 PM Central) or mail proof of destruction to 1000 N. Humboldt Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411. Gold Star provides refunds upon request.

Were products sold nationwide or only in certain states? 

Products were distributed only to Minnesota (54 stores), Indiana (limited), and North Dakota (limited) between August 1 and November 24, 2025. Consumers in other states are not affected by this specific recall.

What health risks do contaminated products pose? 

Primary risks include salmonella infection (potentially fatal for vulnerable populations) and leptospirosis (can cause kidney damage, liver failure). Contaminated cosmetics can cause skin/eye irritation and infections.

Have any illnesses been reported? 

No illnesses had been reported as of the recall announcement. However, given the distribution timeline (August-November 2025) and symptom development periods, infections may still emerge.

Why did this happen? 

FDA inspectors found insanitary conditions at Gold Star’s Minneapolis facility including rodent feces, rodent urine, and bird droppings in areas where products were stored. Products became contaminated through contact with filthy surfaces or airborne particles from animal waste.

Are frozen and refrigerated products included? 

No. The recall does NOT apply to frozen or refrigerated items shipped directly to retail stores by manufacturers or other distributors. Only products stored at Gold Star’s facility are affected.

Can I sue if I got sick from recalled products? 

If you consumed contaminated products and developed illness, you may have grounds for a product liability lawsuit. Consult with a product liability attorney and document everything: receipts, lot numbers, medical records, and communications with Gold Star.

Essential Resources:

• FDA Official Recall Notice – Gold Star Distribution – Complete product list and details
• FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts – All current FDA recalls
• FDA MedWatch – Report Adverse Events – Report health problems from recalled products
• Minnesota Department of Health – State health resources for affected consumers

Gold Star Distribution Contact:
Phone: 612-617-9800
Hours: 7 days/week, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central
Address: 1000 N. Humboldt Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Consult with qualified healthcare providers and attorneys about your specific situation.

About the Author

Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
Her writing blends real legal insight with plain-English explanations, helping readers stay informed and legally aware.
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