Smithfield Foods, one of the U.S.’ largest meat processors, agreed to pay $2 million in a settlement over child labor allegations. A Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry investigation found the Smithfield packaged meats plant in St. James employed at least 11 children between the ages of 14 and 17 from April 2021 to April 2023.
The agency also found Smithfield let nine of the underage employees work after allowable hours and all 11 performed potentially dangerous work. As part of the settlement, Smithfield also agreed to not break labor laws in the future.
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In a statement, Smithfield denied knowingly hiring anyone under 18. It also said all 11 passed the federal E-Verify employment eligibility system by using false identification.
The case is the latest in a series of alleged violations by major U.S. meat producers, which have for years struggled to fill their plants amid worker shortages. Last year, the federal Department of Labor imposed more than $1.5 million in civil penalties against one of the country’s largest cleaning services for food processing companies after finding it employed more than 100 children in dangerous jobs at 13 meatpacking plants across the country.
