West Liberty Foods to further expand facility in Tremonton, Utah

West Liberty Foods is planning a $13 million expansion of its facility in Tremonton, Utah. This addition will add 3,750 square feet of welfare and mechanical space to the previous 34,000-square-foot addition that was completed in August. The latest expansion is hoped to be completed in December.
This addition became necessary as a result of increased sales volumes for West Liberty Foods, a leading co-packer, private-label manufacturer and foodservice supplier of sliced deli meats, and fully cooked, individual-quick-frozen products.
The expansion will house production capabilities for pulled pork and pulled chicken products, bringing an estimated 12 million pounds of retail and food service manufacturing capabilities to the facility.
"We are excited to add these new products and capabilities to our portfolio," said Ed Garrett, president and CEO for West Liberty Foods. "It's through the partnerships with our vendors and customers that made this expansion possible."
This will be the fourth addition to the facility since it opened in 2007. Presently, 530 people are employed there. 

Maple Leaf Foods to close Nova Scotia meat facility

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has made plans to close its prepared meats facility located in Berwick, Nova Scotia in February 2011.
The facility is 200,000 square feet and employs roughly 280 people; its operations will end completely at the end of April 2011. "Our industry is under mounting competitive pressure to become more efficient, and this means we have to make very difficult decisions," said Michael McCain, president and CEO. "While this is the business reality, it is hard to make the necessary changes, particularly in a community where we have such an important presence."
Production will be consolidated at facilities in New Brunswick and Ontario.

Buffalo Tyson plant shut down by USDA

A Buffalo, N.Y., Tyson meat processing plant has been shut down by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after inspectors found violations during follow-up testing.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service was conducting an inspection connected to a recent recall of deli meat produced by the facility. In August, 380,000 pounds of deli meat sold at Wal-Mart were voluntarily recalled after roast beef samples tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
"We're working diligently to address this matter, since food safety and quality are essential to the continued success of our deli meat business," said Gary Mickelson, a Tyson spokesman. The plant employs 560 workers, roughly 480 of whom are affected by the "temporary suspension of operations," according to Mickelson.