Cedar Meats named as abattoir at centre of coronavirus outbreak
The Melbourne meat processing facility where 15 workers have tested positive for coronavirus has been named.
THE Melbourne meat processor at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak has been named as Cedar Meats.
Fifteen people associated with the facility have now tested positive to the virus.
The Melbourne abattoir closed on Friday for thorough cleaning and more than 300 staff are being tested.
Agriculture Victoria told The Weekly Times “it is not anticipated that this matter will have any significant impact on the supply of meat to consumers”.
When announcing the outbreak yesterday Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, who refused to identify the facility, said there were no concerns about food safety.
Cedar Meats, located in Brooklyn, is a third-generation family business which sells mutton, lamb, goat and veal.
The business exports to the European Union, North and South America, South East Asia, China, Middle East and Africa.
Last month, it was reported a mutton shipment sourced from Cedar Meats was exported to Wuhan in China as the backload on a flight that arrived in Australia with coronavirus-related medical supplies.
A sign on the meatworks’ entry gate at its Brooklyn site, seen by The Weekly Times this morning, said the company had implemented “visitor restrictions to prevent the spread of respiratory illness including coronavirus (Covid 19)”.
The outbreak at the abattoir comes a month after The Weekly Times published farmers and food processors demands they be given priority testing for coronavirus in the event of an outbreak on their farm or factory, to avoid having to shut down.
Livestock and Rural Transport Association of Victoria president John Beer said there were concerns throughout the industry over the “secrecy” surrounding the outbreak.
“They keep saying we’re all in it together and they need to preach what they’re trying to preach to us all the time,” Mr Beer said.
“I was getting phone calls all morning and I felt like a dumb person not knowing what they were talking about.
“I know we’re not going to be told everything but we should get told some of that stuff shouldn’t we?”
Ms Mikakos reiterated her stance on not naming the facility again this morning saying there was no risk to the community.
“This is not a decision that’s been made about anyone’s reputation, this an assessment that’s been made as to whether there is a significant risk to public health and as I said yesterday and I reiterate this; we will not hesitate to identify a location of an outbreak if there is a risk to Victoria’s public health,” she said.
Cedar Meats did not answer calls from The Weekly Times.
MORE
SIX NEW CASES FROM MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY
‘No one knew it was coming’: Tongala cow abattoir shuts
The livestock industry and local community have reacted to Greenham’s closure of its Tongala cow processing plant.
Victorians want to feel guilt-free about eating meat
Research – to guide a Victorian Government-funded pro-agriculture campaign – has revealed how consumers feel about the state’s farmers and what issues need to be addressed.