China bans poultry products from Tyson Foods plant

China has suspended poultry imports from a Tyson Foods facility in the United States after COVID-19 cases were confirmed among employees at the plant.

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(Stokerplusss, Bigstock)
(Stokerplusss, Bigstock)

China has suspended poultry imports from a Tyson Foods facility in the United States after COVID-19 cases were confirmed among employees at the plant.

The Chinese customs agency did not identify the location of the plant and did not offer details regarding much poultry meat might be affected. However, Gary Mickelson, Tyson Foods senior director of public relations, told the Associated Press the plant being singled out is located in Springdale, Arkansas.

“At Tyson, we’re confident our products are safe and we’re hopeful consultations between the U.S. and Chinese governments will resolve this matter," Mickelson said. “Our top priority is the health and safety of our team members, and we work closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to ensure that we produce all of our food in full compliance with government safety requirements."

Springdale, which is also the city where Tyson Foods is headquartered, straddles Benton and Washington counties. On June 19, Tyson Foods issued a press release, revealing the results of COVID-19 testing conducted in the two counties.

According to the press release, 3,748 Tyson Foods employees were tested, and of those, 481 tested positive for COVID-19. The company further stated that 455 of those people who tested positive – or about 95% of them -- were asymptomatic.

Team members were tested at two plants in Springdale. At its plant on Berry Street, 227 of 1,120 people tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, 300 employees were tested at the Randall Road plant, and 37 of them tested positive. Eighty-eight people were tested at other Tyson facilities in Springdale, including a growout facility, hatchery and feed mill, but only one person of those 88 tested positive.

Other facilities included in that round of testing are located in the communities of Rogers and Fayetteville.

Earlier in June, Tyson Foods announced 199 of 1,102 workers at the Berry Street plant tested positive for COVID-19.

China’s decision to halt poultry product imports originating from that Springdale plant came just four months after China resumed the import of U.S. poultry products, which had been banned since 2015 due to avian influenza concerns.

View our continuing coverage of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.

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