Farbest Foods suspended production at its turkey plant in Huntingburg, Indiana, May 18-19, but the company said it planned to have the facility back in operation on May 20.
The suspension of operations at the Huntingburg facility follows the testing of all plant employees on May 15 for COVID-19. According to an announcement on the Farbest Foods website, 588 tests were administered, with 101 of the people testing asymptomatic positive, 464 testing negative and 23 tests still pending verification. Workers testing positive lived in “various counties.”
During the closure period, Farbest Foods will contact individuals regarding specific work schedules.
“At this time, the plant is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, May 20, for those with negative test results. However, due to the rapid speed at which data becomes available, this situation requires flexibility, and we are prepared to adapt our schedule as the need arises. Our No. 1 priority continues to be the safety and health of our employees, and we will make decisions with that in mind,” the company stated.
Farbest Foods’ nurses and human resources team, as well as the Indiana State Department of Health, are in regular contact with those who tested positive for COVID-19.
Farbest Foods' cautionary measures
Farbest Foods, on its website, outlined the steps it is taking to protect the health and well-being of employees and others who enter the company’s facilities. In addition to the standard daily sanitizing of company facilities, Farbest Foods has implemented additional measures that include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Increasing monitoring at the manufacturing plants by inquiring about general health and recent travel, taking temperatures of all employees (those with temperatures over 100 degrees or other symptoms are sent home without penalty), relaxing the company attendance policy, and appropriately spacing out employees during entry/exit
- Encouraging pregnant employees, employees aged 65+, or 60+ with compromised immune systems, to take a paid quarantine at home for their safety
- Emphasizing social distancing with suspension of all non-essential meetings, increased seating options in break rooms and cafeterias, and adding spatial dividers on the assembly line and in the cafeteria
- Providing masks and requiring their use, offering ample access to hand sanitizer, as well as additional sanitizing of common areas such as cafeterias, break rooms, restrooms, locker rooms, and vending machines every two hours
- Immediate halt to non-essential commuting between the company's many facilities and encouraging employees who can work from home to do so
- Implementing “telemedicine” for all employees enrolled in Farbest's benefits program and offering the company's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to those who may feel isolated, anxious, or scared
Farbest Foods is the fourth largest turkey company in the United States. According to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, Farbest Foods slaughtered 635 million pounds of turkeys in 2019.
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