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Smithfield Foods shuts down 5th processing plant this month
Smithfield Foods has announced the closure of its St. Charles, Illinois facility because of COVID-19 concerns.
The company had been stalling production on a rolling basis at the facility since April 19th, but suspended operations entirely on Friday to comply with a mandate from local health officials in Kane County.
The order temporarily closes the facility so the health department can work with the company on mitigation efforts as well as providing education relative to social distancing and personal protective equipment.
Smithfield plants have now been shuttered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Martin City, Missouri; Cudahy, Wisconsin; and Monmouth, Illinois.
The closed facilities in South Dakota and Illinois account for just over 6 percent of the nation’s daily slaughter capacity. The closed plants in Wisconsin and Missouri process raw products received from the Sioux Falls facility.
