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The company says it is taking extra time to expand safe manufacturing procedures and monitoring systems. The move comes after U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended operations on Wednesday because of a cockroach infestation.
STATEMENT FROM FOSTER FARMS REGARDING LIVINGSTON FACILITY
JANUARY 12, 2014
Foster Farms, this morning, voluntarily and temporarily put operations at its Livingston, Calif., fresh chicken production facility on hold to further expand its USDA-approved safe manufacturing procedures and monitoring systems. Livingston maintenance employees will remain on the job; the remainder of plant employees will be called back when the plant resumes full operations.
The company is exercising vigilance and choosing to dedicate additional time to ensuring its preventative plan is fully realized with the most effective technology and treatments available. Foster Farms expects this closure to be brief, lasting several days, but does not at this time have a definitive date for resuming operations. No other plants are affected. Company officials said that no product, packaging or line was in any way affected. Production will be shifted temporarily to the company's two other Central Valley, California plants.
Foster Farms shares a common goal with the USDA-FSIS of contributing to a safe food supply, as we have done since 1939. Foster Farms President Ron Foster said, "On behalf of my family, I made a commitment to making this right and we are taking every opportunity to ensure the long-term efficacy of our program at this plant. We are confident in the preventative plan and want to take the time to properly implement new measures to our satisfaction. Foster Farms is a company that strives for excellence. We will not resume operations until we are confident that we have the most stringent and effective treatment protocols in place."
