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Smithfield Foods responds to reports of employee allegedly urinating on production line

Posted at 4:57 PM, Oct 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-16 16:57:06-04

SMITHFIELD, Va. – Smithfield Foods, Inc. released a statement Tuesday in response to reports of an employee allegedly urinating at his station at the company’s processing facility.

It has been described as an isolated incident.

More than 50,000 pounds of product were disposed of following an initial internal investigation. This was done in accordance with Smithfield’s food safety and quality standards.

A representative with Smithfield Foods says the facility immediately halted production, fully cleaned the processing line and sanitized all equipment multiple times before resuming operations.

The employee has also been suspended pending a complete investigation, the representative said.

“The facility and its employees’ immediate response and corrective actions to this isolated incident reflect the company’s commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of its products,” Smithfield Foods said in the statement. “The safety and quality of our foods is fundamental to our success as a company, underscoring our mission to provide ‘Good food. Responsibly.'”

The representative told News 3 the company has no plans to release surveillance video of the incident.

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