USDA Investigating Possible Plastic Sabotage At Poultry Processing Plant
While it’s not uncommon to hear about chicken products that end up containing wayward bits of plastic (like this nugget issue, this sausage situation, and yet another nugget problem), federal officials are on the case of an incident at a poultry processing line in Missouri that might be a case of deliberate sabotage, instead of a run-of-the-mill accident.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General has been called in to lead an investigation into an incident on March 3 at a Wayne Farms plant in Laurel, MS, to see if foreign material — plastic — was deliberately planted.
“It was the beginning of second shift, all product was put on hold for further investigation,” the company said in a statement. “Wayne Farms is working in collaboration with the USDA, and can make no further comment until the investigation is complete.”
The company owns and operates 11 fresh and further-processed facilities in the Southeast. The plant in question has gone back into production, and company officials say there’s no food safety concern for consumers.
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