FDA issues health alert with Louisville company

State of Kentucky has mandated the firm halt operations

(Story Courtesy of Kentucky Today)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday it is advising consumers, distributors and retailers not to eat, sell, or serve products distributed by Pan-African Food Distributors (DBA East Africa Boutique LLC) of Louisville.

A May 2025 FDA inspection of the firm’s distribution center in Louisville revealed the presence of an active rodent infestation and numerous rodent droppings on multiple product containers

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The state of Kentucky has mandated the firm halt operations due to the absence of a required permit and has implemented a blanket quarantine of product. The state is urging the voluntary disposal of all contaminated food and will prohibit the business from reopening until the infestation is completely addressed.

FDA has recommended Pan-African Food Distributors recall all products of concern currently on the market, and the firm has agreed. FDA is issuing this public health alert to notify the customers and consumers about the public health risk that these products pose. 

Consumers should check their homes for products described in the safety alert and discard all products. Additionally, consumers should carefully clean and sanitize surfaces that could have come in contact with potentially contaminated products. Retailers and distributors that purchased or received products described in the safety alert from Pan-African Food Distributors should not sell or serve potentially contaminated products and should clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that could have come in contact with potentially contaminated products.   

Products held under insanitary conditions and contaminated with filth could pose a serious health risk, potentially leading to various illnesses, including leptospirosis, hantavirus infection, salmonellosis, yersiniosis, E.coli infection, and rat-bite fever. People should contact their healthcare provider if they suspect they have developed symptoms after eating these products. 

The FDA further recommends:

--Consumers should check their homes for products distributed by Pan-African Food Distributors and discard all products. If you do not know if your product was distributed by Pan-African Food Distributors, throw it away. Additionally, consumers should carefully clean and sanitize surfaces that could have come in contact with potentially contaminated products. 

--Parents and caregiversshould not feed children products distributed by Pan-African Food Distributors.   

--Retailers and distributors that purchased or received products from Pan-African Distributors should not sell or serve potentially contaminated products and should clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that could have come in contact with potentially contaminated products.