MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS UPDATE | Federal Government Seeks to Stop Minneapolis Distributor From Handling Food, Medicine and Infant Formula
The Justice Department’s lawsuit follows a sweeping recall previously reported by MinneapoliMedia and alleges that Gold Star Distribution failed to correct persistent rodent, bird and sanitation problems.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (September 14, 2026). The federal government is asking a court to prevent a Minneapolis distributor from receiving, storing or distributing food, medicine, infant formula, cosmetics and other federally regulated products until the company brings its operations into compliance with federal law.
The civil complaint, filed September 11 on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, seeks a permanent injunction against Gold Star Distribution Inc. and its owner over what federal authorities describe as years of recurring pest infestations and unsanitary conditions at the company’s warehouse at 1000 Humboldt Avenue North.
The lawsuit represents a significant escalation from the product recall MinneapoliMedia reported in January.
That recall covered approximately 2,000 products distributed to retailers in Minnesota, Indiana and North Dakota after inspectors found evidence of rodent and bird contamination inside the Minneapolis facility. The affected inventory included human and pet food, over-the-counter medicine, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements.
The new court action alleges that serious problems remained unresolved despite earlier state and federal enforcement efforts and representations from the company that corrective measures were underway.
RODENTS, BIRDS AND CONTAMINATED STORAGE AREAS
According to the federal complaint, FDA investigators inspected the warehouse between November 17 and December 18, 2025.
Investigators reported finding nine live rodents and 17 dead rodents in different stages of decay, eight live birds, one dead bird and five live worms.
The complaint also describes rodent droppings too numerous to count, urine stains, gnaw holes and nesting material throughout the facility. Evidence of contamination was allegedly found on or near pallets containing rice, pet food, bottled tea, medicine, sanitary pads, liquid hand soap and body spray.
Bird droppings were reportedly present on packaged bottles of tea.
Investigators also documented leaking or overflowing garbage near outgoing shipments, openings around loading-dock doors, holes in an exterior wall, ceiling leaks dripping onto stored products and areas where water pooled on the floor.
Laboratory analysis of samples collected during the inspection confirmed rodent urine, droppings and hair, along with gnaw damage to product packaging, according to the complaint.
Federal officials further allege that Gold Star lacked temperature and humidity monitoring for areas where medication was stored and had not completed studies establishing appropriate temperature conditions throughout those storage areas.
Approximately 75 percent of the products handled at the warehouse are regulated by the FDA, according to the complaint.
The inventory included Enfamil and Enfamil Gentlease infant formula, Tylenol, Advil, DayQuil, pregnancy tests, sanitary products, rice, bottled beverages, pet food, cosmetics and personal-care products. The remaining inventory included household cleaners, automotive chemicals and other products outside the FDA’s jurisdiction.
A HISTORY OF ENFORCEMENT
The government’s case does not rest solely on the late-2025 inspection.
According to the complaint, the FDA and Minnesota Department of Agriculture documented pest-control concerns at the facility dating to 2012.
Between 2018 and 2025, state agriculture officials issued three warning letters, imposed two financial penalties and entered into a two-year license-limitation agreement with Gold Star. That agreement increased the frequency of inspections and warned that the company could lose its license if the problems continued.
The FDA issued a warning letter in 2018 after an earlier inspection identified sanitation and pest-control deficiencies.
Following the 2025 inspection, Gold Star announced a voluntary recall of FDA-regulated products stored at the warehouse. The FDA said the products may have been exposed to Salmonella and other contamination associated with rodents and birds.
The recall reached neighborhood retailers across the Twin Cities and beyond. MinneapoliMedia’s earlier investigation identified affected stores in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, New Hope and St. Cloud, among other locations.
COMPANY DESCRIBED CORRECTIVE STEPS
Gold Star responded to the FDA’s findings in January and February 2026, according to the complaint.
The company said it had improved procedures for keeping dock and entry doors sealed, trained employees to monitor spills and leaks, separated some nonfood merchandise, hired an outside specialist to evaluate warehouse controls and cleaned the refuse area.
Gold Star also indicated that it could renovate the warehouse or relocate if renovations proved insufficient.
Federal regulators contend those responses did not adequately address the underlying causes of the infestations. The complaint alleges that the company failed to provide a sufficient pest-control plan, detailed preventive sanitation measures, evidence of structural repairs or a concrete relocation plan.
The allegations have not been adjudicated. A civil complaint states the government’s claims, and the defendants will have an opportunity to respond in court.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS SEEKING
The Justice Department is asking the court to prohibit Gold Star and its owner from handling FDA-regulated products at the current warehouse or any future facility until the FDA determines that the operation complies with federal requirements.
The government is also seeking reimbursement for investigation and enforcement costs.
A permanent injunction would go beyond recalling a particular shipment or group of products. It could stop the company from conducting a substantial portion of its distribution business unless and until federal regulators approve its corrective measures.
Consumers can review the original recall and affected product information through the FDA’s Gold Star Distribution recall notice.
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