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Cargill temporarily closing Milwaukee facility
Cargill temporarily closing Milwaukee facility
MILWAUKEE -- Cargill Meat Solutions on Emmber Lane near Canal Street in Milwaukee closed temporarily beginning on Wednesday, May 6 at 1 p.m. to test employees for COVID-19. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett confirmed that Wisconsin National Guard members would be offering their support, testing facility employees for the virus in the coming days. Meanwhile, yet another closure involving a meat processor could impact what customers see on grocery store shelves.
Cargill Meat Solutions
"First of all, it's good Cargill is taking these steps," said Brandon Scholz, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Grocers Association. "You want to make sure your facility is safe."
A Cargill spokeswoman issued the following statement to FOX6 News on Tuesday:
It was not immediately clear whether any positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among Cargill employees.
Cargill Meat Solutions
"There was no playbook on how to deal with the pandemic," said Scholz "This is all new."
Cargill's announcement came amid concerns for the nation's food supply chain, after plants operated by Tyson, Smithfield and JBS were all forced to temporarily close. Industry analysts and insiders have predicted supermarket shoppers might soon be feeling the effects of hiccups in the supply chain, possibly seeing fewer options in the meat aisle, along with slightly higher prices.
"You'll find that a lot of grocers in the state are receiving less than what they have in the past, whether that be pork, or beef, or chicken, and you'll also find that demand continues to stay high from consumers," said Scholz.
It's a challenge that Scholz said can be caused by even the smallest disruption in the supply chain, and one that customers might notice based on available product on the shelves.
"From cattlemen, to processing, to slaughter, to retail," said Scholz. "I think it's fair to say to customers, there are going to be shortages."
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services' website features a page regarding COVID-19 investigations in facilities throughout the state, including workplaces. As of Wednesday, that page showed a total of 42 facility-wide public health investigations at non-health care workplaces in southeast Wisconsin.