Smithfield meat plant worker accused of urinating on production line

A Virginia meat-processing company says more than 50,000 pounds of product have been discarded after an employee was accused of urinating while working on a production line.

In a statement Tuesday, Smithfield Foods Inc. spokeswoman Lisa Martin said that the employee was filmed allegedly urinating at the packing plant in Smithfield over the weekend. She says the employee has been suspended while the company investigates.

"The facility and its employees’ immediate response and corrective actions to this isolated incident reflect the company’s commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of its products. The safety and quality of our foods is fundamental to our success as a company, underscoring our mission to provide ‘Good food. Responsibly,"” the statement read.

Martin says it was an isolated incident and the company has taken appropriate measures to ensure product quality. She says the facility had immediately halted production and sanitized all equipment several times before operations resumed.

The company, which produces pork products, did not specify which product(s) specifically the facility disposed of.

The company dates back to the 1930s.  It was bought by a Chinese firm in 2013.

With the Associated Press