MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Maple Leaf
Foods, Inc. (TSX: MFI) President and CEO Michael McCain today issued a statement to
update the company's efforts to respond to COVID-19:
"As a major food company in an essential industry, Maple Leaf
Foods is doing everything possible to protect the health of our
13,000 team members while producing the food our customers in
North America and Asia need now more than ever.
Today, we are suspending operations in our Brampton Poultry
plant in Brampton, Ontario, out of
an abundance of caution while we complete an investigation into
three COVID cases that have occurred with people working at that
facility. Our first priority is to keep our people safe so the
decision was made to shut down the facility, pending a full risk
assessment. While we complete the investigation, we are deep
cleaning the plant including common areas and offices. Our goal is
to complete the investigation and the deep cleaning as quickly as
reasonably possible. We will not begin operating again until we are
confident that it is safe to return to work.
An additional COVID case has occurred in a team member at our
Heritage plant in Hamilton,
Ontario. The affected team member had not been present at
the plant for two weeks before the diagnosis. We've completed
thorough sanitation at Heritage and the plant is fully
operating.
Throughout our network, we are taking many steps to protect our
people. In addition to our normal, thorough daily sanitation in our
plants and the use of our standard Personal Protective Equipment
that helps ensure food safety and protects the health of our
people, we are taking additional steps, including:
- Increased, frequent sanitation of all common areas like
breakrooms, washrooms, locker rooms and cafeterias
- Careful social distancing through increased spacing on
production lines where possible
- Staggered breaks and shifts to prevent groups from forming
- Conversion of offices to break rooms and the use of trailers to
decrease the density of our people during breaks
- Phasing in of temperature screening of all front-line employees
as we receive temperature scanners at all our sites
We are closely coordinating with Canadian Food Inspection Agency
officials and the Public Health Departments throughout Canada to ensure that we are doing everything
possible to ensure the safety of our people. Government
experts in Canada and the U.S.
have made it clear that COVID-19 is not a foodborne illness and
there is currently no evidence that food is a likely source or
route of transmission of COVID-19.
This is a very fluid situation and our teams are working very
closely within our network, as well as with our supply chain and
logistics partners so that we can continue to deliver safe food at
this critical time.
This is truly an unprecedented period for our Company and the
entire food industry. Maple Leaf Foods takes our responsibility to
feed people seriously every day of the year. You have my personal
assurance that we stand with our 13,000 team members and with our
customers in getting through this difficult crisis."
About Maple Leaf Foods
Maple Leaf Foods is a producer of food products under leading
brands including Maple Leaf®, Maple Leaf
Prime®, Maple Leaf Natural Selections®,
Schneider's®, Schneiders® Country
Naturals®, Mina®, Greenfield Natural Meat
Co.®, Lightlife®, Field Roast Grain Meat
Co.TM and Swift®. Maple Leaf employs
approximately 13,000 people and does business in Canada, the
U.S. and Asia. The Company is headquartered
in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the
Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).
Website: MapleLeafFoods.com
Twitter: @MapleLeafFoods
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SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc.