BARGAIN shoppers know that Dollar Tree is a treasure trove of discount goods, including snacks, homewares, and hygiene products.
But experts flagged two potential health risks at dollar stores – and if you're a thrifty shopper, you should be aware of them.
The pros at Best Life compiled the tips in a roundup of Dollar Tree shopping secrets every customer should know.
First up is a hygiene concern that most retailers have to consider: the cleanliness of inventory items.
In 2020, Dollar Tree locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut received OSHA violations for, among other safety hazards, allowing trash to accumulate at unsanitary levels.
And in early February 2022, the FDA issued a warning about products in Family Dollar stores in six states that were potentially "unsafe for consumers to use."
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According to the FDA news release, "an FDA inspection found insanitary conditions, including a rodent infestation, that could cause many of the products to become contaminated."
"Family Dollar is wholly owned and operated by Dollar Tree," the team at Best Life added. Dollar Tree acquired the other budget chain in 2015.
In general, it's a good idea to wipe down products when they enter your home, just in case they've been in storage for a long time or have been handled by lots of people.
But there are some products you should consider skipping entirely at Dollar Tree, the Best Life team added.
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Vitamins and supplements, for example, are usually a great deal at Dollar Tree, but might not be exactly what you're looking for.
In a 2012 survey of discount stores including Dollar Tree, Consumer Reports found that dollar stores' brands of vitamins were lacking.
Though the supplements didn't contain dangerous ingredients, several of the bottles didn't actually contain the amount of each vitamin the labels promised.
It’s not clear if this report tested vitamins from Dollar Tree specifically and, if so, whether Dollar Tree has remedied the issue with supplements since it was originally reported in 2012.
According to more recent reporting, Dollar Tree has cooperated effectively with the FDA to resolve concerns about other drugs, but it's unclear if the nutritional content of vitamins has been addressed.
The US Sun has reached out to Dollar Tree about the store-brand supplements, as well as store and warehouse cleanliness.
If you're trying to save money, you'll get more bang from your buck by buying supplements with nutritional labels that reflect the actual amounts of each vitamin contained in them.
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And if you’re under direction from your doctor to add certain vitamins to your routine, you might want to consider a different source other than a dollar store.
"In some cases – say, if you're stocking up on vitamin D to combat a deficiency – this could have a deleterious effect on your health," the experts at Best Life explained.
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