Meatpacking company Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. has been fined $2 million after an inspection by state authorities found it was illegally employing underage workers at an operation in St. James, Minnesota.On April 13, 2023, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry conducted an on-site inspection of Smithfield's St. James food production facility as part of a two-year audit period.
"We wholeheartedly agree that individuals under the age of 18 have no place working in meatpacking or processing facilities," Smithfield said in a statement. "As a matter of policy, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not employ anyone under the age of 18 to work in any of our processing facilities. Additionally, we require our suppliers, including our third-party sanitation service providers, to follow this policy.