WINNIPEG – A hog slaughter plant forced to shut down in mid-August with sanitation problems is expected to reopen by mid-September, according to representatives of Manitoba Pork and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
Jack Forgan Meat Ltd. was temporarily shut down a few times this summer, said Phil Amundson, the regional director of food inspection and protection for the federal agriculture department.
“This is an older facility, there was some sanitation and insect problems,” Amundson said. “As long as those things are not in the food area, they can operate. It was when we were concerned that that could affect food, that’s when we shut it down.”
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Amundson refused to give details about the problems, but emphasized all food leaving the plant is safe. He said the company is now cleaning and renovating parts of the building to improve “deficiencies.”
The plant handled about 5,000 hogs a week, according to Ken Foster, chair of Manitoba Pork. Most were exported to the United States.
Foster said at first, producers faced some extra lineups as the agency grappled with the extra export load. However, he said because Manitoba Pork now knows when the company expects to be back in action, it can more easily plan where the hogs will be slaughtered.
Hog prices were not affected since the formula price reflects the North American market rather than local situations, Foster said. He added the incident proves the food inspection system works.
Don Keith, a union spokesperson, said about 135 employees received short-term layoff paycheques from the company for up to seven days’ pay, according to the terms of their contract. Most of the employees are eligible for unemployment insurance during the closure.
Keith said employees were not surprised when the plant was closed.
He estimated that the plant was built in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
Company officials refused comment.
