Cargill is latest meatpacker to shut US plant due to Covid-19

Cargill has become the latest company to shut a US meat plant which serves grocery stores due to Covid-19, according to a report by Reuters.

The Minnesota-based company announced it had closed its facility in Hazelton, Pennsylvania until further notice.

According to Cargill’s website, the plant produces ground beef, steak, beef roasts and pork products that are sold to grocery stores across the US.

In a statement cited by Reuters, Cargill said it is working with customers, farmers and employees to “keep the food system running”.

Cargill added: “Our goal is to keep our 900 employees at this case-ready protein facility healthy and minimise risk within the Hazleton community, which has been greatly impacted by Covid-19.

“Our facility will re-open as soon as is it is safe to do so.”

The coronavirus pandemic is causing US meat operations to halt production despite high demand from retail food customers.  

Cargill is the latest to join companies including Tyson Foods, JBS USA and National Beef Packing.

Tyson Foods has suspended operations at an Iowa pork plant due to more than 24 cases of Covid-19 involving team members at the facility, whilst National Beef Packing said it has suspended cattle slaughtering at a plant in Tama, Iowa, for a major cleaning process that was previously scheduled for later this month.

JBS USA, meanwhile, announced last week that it was temporarily reducing beef production for two weeks at a beef plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania after several senior management team members displayed flu-like symptoms.