All articles tagged with #meat processing
US beef prices are soaring due to a decline in cattle herds and industry consolidation, with political debates over potential solutions like increasing domestic production and imports. Ranchers face challenges from high costs and market control by a few large companies, and current proposals may not effectively lower prices for consumers.
Tyson Foods announced it will permanently close its meat processing plant in Emporia, Kansas, by February 2025, resulting in the loss of over 800 jobs. The decision is part of the company's strategy to improve efficiency amid financial losses in its beef unit. U.S. Senator Roger Marshall expressed disappointment, highlighting the plant's significance as a major employer in the region. Tyson Foods is working with local officials to support affected employees, with some potentially relocating to other company facilities.
A cleaning company, Qvest LLC, has been fined $171,000 after federal investigators discovered 11 children working illegal and dangerous overnight shifts at a meat processing plant in Iowa. The children were tasked with cleaning hazardous equipment at the Seaboard Triumph Foods facility, violating U.S. laws prohibiting minors from working in meat processing. This incident follows a similar case earlier this year involving another contractor at the same facility. Qvest is required to overhaul its employment policies and establish a whistleblower system. The U.S. Labor Department has reported a significant increase in child labor violations, with over 4,000 cases found in the past year.
The USDA detected bird flu virus particles in tissue samples from one dairy cow at a U.S. meat processing plant, but none in 95 other cattle. The meat was kept out of the food supply, and increased testing is underway as bird flu spreads in dairy cattle. Two dairy workers have tested positive, and the USDA confirms bird flu in 58 herds across nine states. The FDA found viral particles in pasteurized milk but no live virus.
The USDA has finalized a rule to align the voluntary "Product of USA" label claim with consumer understanding, ensuring that the claim is only used on meat, poultry, and egg products derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States. Additionally, the USDA is awarding $9.5 million to 42 projects through the Local Meat Capacity grant program to expand processing options for the meat and poultry industry and taking new actions to enhance transparency and competition in the U.S. seed industry. These efforts are part of the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to promoting competition, fairness, and resilience in the agricultural and food industries.
The Labor Department has filed a request for a temporary restraining order and injunction against Fayette Janitorial Service LLC, a Tennessee-based company, for employing at least 24 children between the ages of 13 and 17 to clean dangerous equipment at slaughterhouses in Virginia and Iowa. The company's actions violate federal laws prohibiting minors from working in such hazardous environments, and the investigation was prompted by a report in The New York Times Magazine. Meat processing is known to be one of the nation's most dangerous industries, and the company's hiring of minors highlights the ongoing issue of child labor in the United States.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has introduced new regulations to combat the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a deadly disease affecting deer. Hunters in regions with CWD must now be cautious in handling deer carcasses, either taking them to approved meat processing locations, processing them at home and disposing of carcasses properly, or processing them at the harvest location. Testing is recommended before consuming the meat. Blair and Huntingdon counties are among the most contaminated areas for CWD in the state.
A Michigan man has been sentenced after a minor's hand was amputated in a workplace accident at a meat processing plant.
Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI), the slaughterhouse cleaning company that was found to be employing more than 100 children to help sanitize dangerous razor-sharp equipment like bone saws, has continued to lose contracts with major meat producers since the investigation became public last fall. PSSI said it has taken a number of steps to tighten up its hiring practices, but the rising number of child labor cases nationwide is likely related to the increase in the number of minors crossing the U.S. border alone in recent years. Companies like PSSI are put in a difficult situation of having to turn away applicants who appear to have a valid ID when they want to hire workers, and they also have to be careful not to discriminate by imposing extra scrutiny on immigrants.
Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI), a slaughterhouse cleaning company, has lost contracts with major meat producers since it was found to be employing more than 100 children to help sanitize dangerous equipment. PSSI has taken steps to tighten up its hiring practices, but the rising number of child labor cases nationwide is likely related to the increase in the number of minors crossing the U.S. border alone in recent years. Companies like PSSI are put in a difficult situation of having to turn away applicants who appear to have a valid ID when they want to hire workers. Cargill, Tyson Foods, and JBS have all terminated contracts with PSSI at least some of their plants, particularly any plants where Labor Department investigators confirmed children were working.