The U.S. Department of Justice has asked a federal court to permanently bar a Minneapolis wholesaler and its owner from receiving, storing, or distributing food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics until the business fully complies with federal law. The civil complaint, filed on behalf of the FDA on Sept. 11, names Gold Star Distribution Inc. and owner Bassam Abu Samrah over what officials describe as years of unsanitary conditions at the company's North Minneapolis warehouse.
The products involved are everyday household items. According to the complaint, as described by FOX 9, roughly 75% of the company's stock is FDA-regulated, including Enfamil infant formulas, Tylenol, Advil, DayQuil, pregnancy tests, sanitary pads, rice, and cat food. The Minnesota Star Tribune has reported that the company's goods went largely to ethnic grocery stores and corner shops.
No illnesses had been reported when the company announced a broad recall in December 2025. The government says the warehouse still held contaminated FDA-regulated products when the lawsuit was filed and that the company's corrective plans fell short.
What Inspectors Documented Inside the Warehouse
FDA investigators inspected the warehouse at 1000 N. Humboldt Ave. from Nov. 17 to Dec. 18, 2025. According to the complaint, they found nine live rodents, 17 dead rodents, eight live birds, one dead bird, and five live worms. Investigators also reported rodent droppings too numerous to count, urine stains, gnaw holes, and nesting material throughout the facility, including on or near pallets of rice, cat food, bottled tea, drugs, and personal care products.
The complaint also describes two ceiling leaks dripping onto stored products, significant gaps in dock doors, holes in a wall, and leaking, overflowing trash near outgoing shipments. Areas where drugs were stored had no temperature or humidity monitoring, a concern because many medicines must be kept within labeled storage conditions. FDA lab analysis confirmed rodent urine, droppings, hair, and gnaw holes in product packaging, the complaint states.
The case was filed in federal court in Minnesota and assigned to U.S. District Judge Laura M. Provinzino. The claims are allegations that the government must still prove. Abu Samrah did not respond to calls from the Minnesota Star Tribune, and the FDA said it does not comment on pending litigation.
The Star Tribune also reported that the facility appeared closed on Monday, Sept. 14, with a for-sale sign posted. According to the Justice Department, Abu Samrah told the government in July that the warehouse would stop doing business permanently in August, the newspaper reported.
Recall Reached Halal Markets and Corner Stores
The recall notice posted by the FDA covered all FDA-regulated products held at the facility, including drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, dietary supplements, human food, and pet food. It did not apply to products shipped directly to stores by a distributor or manufacturer, such as frozen and refrigerated items. The notice warned that stored goods may have been "contaminated with filth and harmful microorganisms."
CBS Minnesota reported that the recall involved nearly 2,000 products. The FDA's distribution list names 54 locations, most of them halal markets and small grocery stores. All but two are in Minnesota, in cities including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Rochester, and St. Cloud. The other two are a store in Indianapolis and one in Fargo, North Dakota. CBS Minnesota reported that, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, the products were distributed to retailers between Aug. 1 and Nov. 24, 2025.
The FDA notice says Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in infants, young children, frail or older adults, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems. It also notes that rodents are the main reservoir of Leptospira, the bacteria that cause leptospirosis, an infection that can cause flu-like symptoms. Contaminated medical devices may also raise the risk of infection, according to the notice.
Years of Warnings Before Court Action
The FDA sent the company a warning letter in 2018 after documenting rodent activity and other sanitation problems at the same address. According to the complaint, the FDA and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture have documented pest problems at the facility since 2012. Between 2018 and 2025, the state agency issued three warning letters, two monetary penalties, and a two-year license limitation agreement that increased inspections and warned of possible license revocation. The company's wholesale license was revoked in November 2025, and state regulators ordered it to stop distributing drugs without a pharmacy license, FOX 9 reported.
The Star Tribune reported that federal officials went to court after the owner's son obtained a wholesaler license under a similar business name.
Gold Star told the FDA in January and February 2026 that it had strengthened procedures for sealing doors, trained employees, hired an outside expert, cleaned its refuse area, and planned to renovate or relocate. The FDA said those responses fell short because the company did not conduct a root cause analysis of the infestations, provide an adequate pest control plan with monitoring, or show evidence of structural changes or concrete plans to relocate.
Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University, told the Star Tribune that regulations are meant to "identify facilities that repeatedly violate our laws and regulations," and that this facility did.
The lawsuit comes eight years after the FDA's warning letter. The government is also asking the court to award its costs, including investigation costs.
What Shoppers Should Do with Recalled Items
Shoppers can check items at home against the FDA's full list of affected products. The recall notice says not to ship products back to Gold Star. Instead, destroy them and send proof of destruction to the company, which will provide refunds on request. Pet owners whose animals ate recalled food should contact a veterinarian.
According to the FDA notice, Salmonella infection often causes fever, diarrhea that may be bloody, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Anyone who becomes ill after using a recalled product should contact a health care provider. Seek urgent care for a high fever, bloody diarrhea, signs of dehydration such as little or no urination, or any illness in a young infant.
Replace recalled over-the-counter medicines, and ask a pharmacist about equivalent products. Do not stop a prescribed medication without talking to a clinician. Minnesota WIC guidance issued in January says WIC cannot reissue benefits for recalled items, so participants should contact the store where they bought the product. Families should never dilute infant formula to stretch a supply.
As of Sept. 11, the court docket listed only the complaint and the case assignment. MedicalDaily will follow the case as the court acts. In the meantime, anyone who still has older pantry or medicine cabinet items bought from the listed stores in Minnesota, Indiana, or North Dakota should check them against the FDA's product list.
Key Questions Answered
What is the federal government asking the court to do?
The Justice Department wants a permanent order barring Gold Star Distribution and its owner from receiving, storing, or distributing FDA-regulated food, drugs, devices, and cosmetics until the operation fully complies with federal law.
What did FDA inspectors find at the warehouse?
According to the complaint, inspectors found live and dead rodents, live birds, worms, rodent droppings too numerous to count, urine stains, ceiling leaks, and no temperature or humidity monitoring in drug storage areas.
Has anyone gotten sick?
No illnesses had been reported when the company announced its recall in December 2025.
Which stores and states were affected?
The FDA lists 54 locations. Fifty-two are in Minnesota, one is in Indianapolis, and one is in Fargo, North Dakota.
What should I do if I have a recalled product?
Check the FDA's product list, destroy matching items instead of returning them, and send proof of destruction to Gold Star to request a refund.
What symptoms should I watch for?
Salmonella often causes fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain, while leptospirosis can cause flu-like symptoms. Seek urgent care for high fever, bloody diarrhea, dehydration, or any illness in a young infant.
What happens next in the case?
A federal judge in Minnesota will decide whether to grant the injunction. As of Sept. 11, the docket listed no hearing.
