Smithfield Foods Closure Highlights Contagion Risk In Food Industry
The world’s biggest producer of pork, Smithfield Foods, announced Sunday (April 12) it will close one of its pork-processing facilities after many workers at the plant tested positive for coronavirus.
The company said that its plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will remain closed “until further notice.” The plant processes 4% to 5% of America’s pork production, supplying nearly 130 million servings of food per week. It employs about 3,700 people, and more than 550 farmers supply the facility. The company is based in Virginia and employs 40,000 people across the U.S.
The New York Times reported that 296 of the plant’s employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Martin Wiedmann, a food scientist and professor of food safety at Cornell University, says that the shutdown illustrates the challenges of minimizing the risk of contagion among workers in the food industry.
Wiedmann says: “This shutdown at Smithfield Foods illustrates the challenges that different segments of the food industry face and will continue to face. With the COVID-19 case numbers we have in the U.S., most larger food processing facilities will be expected to have COVID-19 cases among their employees.
“While implementing social distancing practices in facilities, along with the use of face masks or face coverings is essential, improved collaborative efforts between food processors and local, state, and federal agencies on how to manage COVID-19 cases in large food processing facilities are also essential. Furthermore, consistent messaging and consistent strategies are needed to minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread in processing facilities and to ensure employee confidence in workplace safety, which is essential to maintain critical food processing capabilities.”