A sweeping recall has been issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following the discovery of unsanitary conditions at a warehouse in Minneapolis. The contamination, involving rodent droppings and bird waste, affects over 2,000 shelf-stable products distributed across Minnesota, Indiana and North Dakota.
The items span across food, beverage, over-the-counter medication, and pet food categories. The impacted brands include household names such as Pepsi, Hershey’s, Tylenol, and Purina. No illnesses have been reported so far, but the FDA warns the contaminated goods pose serious health risks.
Contamination Identified at Minnesota Facility
On December 26, 2025, Gold Star Distribution, Inc., a Minnesota-based wholesale distributor, voluntarily recalled all FDA-regulated products stored at one of its facilities. According to the FDA, an inspection found “rodent excreta, rodent urine and bird droppings” throughout the storage areas, including zones where food and medical items were kept.
The scale of the contamination has led to the recall of thousands of products from leading brands. According to the FDA, the affected facility “was operating under insanitary conditions” that could allow items to become contaminated through contact with waste-covered surfaces or airborne particulates.
The recall includes well-known beverages such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite, Dr Pepper, Gatorade, Snapple and Minute Maid. Many were sold in 12-packs, 20-ounce bottles, or 2-liter containers. Also listed are snack foods including Hershey’s, Reese’s, Skittles, Starburst, and Pringles, as well as cereals from General Mills, Post and Kellogg’s.
In addition to food and drinks, over-the-counter medications such as Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, DayQuil, and Benadryl were also stored at the site and are part of the recall. According to the FDA, exposure to these products could lead to bacterial contamination, increasing the risk of infection, particularly from Salmonella.
Thousands of Products Distributed Across Three States
The recall affects shelf-stable items distributed to retail and convenience stores in Minnesota, Indiana and North Dakota. Major urban centers impacted include Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Indianapolis and Fargo. Frozen and refrigerated products are not part of the recall.
Gold Star Distribution, Inc. has requested that consumers destroy any affected products and refrain from returning them to the store. Customers can receive a refund upon providing proof of destruction to the company’s Minneapolis address. “Products should not be shipped back to Gold Star under any circumstances,” the company said in its recall notice.
The FDA has warned that even though no illnesses have been reported, the health risks remain. “Rodents are the main reservoirs of Leptospira, the bacteria that causes leptospirosis in humans,” the agency stated. It also reiterated that products stored in unsanitary conditions may carry Salmonella and other harmful bacteria.
According to reporting from Food & Wine, public awareness of food recalls remains low, with only a small portion of Americans subscribing to government alerts. Yet experts stress the seriousness of this case. The warehouse contamination impacts not just one product or category but an entire supply chain across multiple states and sectors. Consumers are encouraged to check their homes carefully and review the full list of recalled products available on the FDA’s official website.
