MARKHAM, ON – Sofina Foods Inc. confirmed one case of COVID-19 in two facilities in the province: one case at one of its further processing facilities in Mississauga and the other at the company’s pork facility in Burlington. The two incidents are unrelated.
The employees are doing well and are self-isolating at home, under the guidance of the Provincial Health Authority. The company’s COVID-19 response protocol was immediately deployed to investigate the incidents and mitigate any risks to other employees.
“In addition to the required PPE when in production areas, masks or face shields are now mandatory in production areas at these two sites,” said Daniele Dufour, Senior Director, Communications, at Sofina Foods Inc. “We have a comprehensive manual and protocols in place for such situations and the teams were prepared. This allowed us to quickly assess risks, alert proper stakeholders and identify any action needed in addition to the proactive measures already in place.”
Any employee at each facility who may have been in close contact with the diagnosed employees was asked to self-isolate at home and monitor their health as a cautionary step. The plants are fully operational.
All Sofina Foods sites have deployed a number of measures to prevent the spread of the virus and maintain their ability to produce. They include temperature checks, ongoing sanitation of common areas and offices, staggered breaks, physical distancing in common areas, face shields, Plexiglas separations on the production line, at handwashing stations or in lunch rooms. In addition, the plants had redirected the flow of movement to create a single point of entry and a single exit point at each site.
“We also stopped operations overnight at the Mississauga plant to allow fogging of all welfare areas in addition to daily sanitation. Fogging is one of the most effective methods to properly disinfect harder to reach places,” added Dufour. “In the case of our Burlington plant, the employee had not been at work for a week. Given the sanitation protocols in place at the plant, including regular fogging, we are confident that the areas where the employee went do not pose any contamination concerns.”
The two unrelated incidents were reviewed with the Public Health Authorities who confirmed they were isolated incidents and expressed their satisfaction with the response protocols deployed at both facilities.
Sofina Foods’ Mississauga plant manufactures further processed chicken products and employs over 180 people. The facility in Burlington produces fresh pork and employs close to 1,000 people.
About Sofina Foods Inc.
Sofina Foods Inc. is a privately owned Canadian company headquartered in Markham, Ontario dedicated to providing great tasting, high quality food products for consumers. As one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of primary and further processed protein products for both retail and foodservice customers, Sofina Foods has a broad portfolio of branded and private label pork, beef, turkey, and chicken products. Sofina’s family of branded products consists of: Cuddy, Lilydale, Janes, Mastro, San Daniele, Fletcher’s, Vienna and Zamzam. Sofina Foods currently operates 16 HACCP-approved manufacturing facilities, three hatcheries, three distribution centers and employs close to 5,000 people. To learn more about Sofina Foods, please visit www.sofinafoods.com.
