Another meat delivery caught on Facebook. This Modesto company has answers.
A Facebook video of Yosemite Meat Co. workers carrying pig carcasses into a San Francisco grocer has caused a stir on social media.
This is the second time in recent days that a local meat supplier has been caught up in social media. Photos of employees of Winton-based Jim's Farm Meat pushing shopping carts with what appear to be unwrapped pig carcasses into a Bay Area store went viral last weekend.
Jim's Farm Meat issued a statement Thursday explaining the circumstances of what occurred. The company also apologized and said it conducted its own investigation and is confident this was an isolated incident. It added that it is cooperating with regulatory agencies.
Michael Lau – a member of the family that owns Yosemite Meats – said how his company delivered the pig carcasses, which was captured on a video that was posted to Facebook on Tuesday, is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved delivery method.
He said this type of delivery is used when the customer – in this case a Chinatown grocery store – orders carcasses and does not have a loading dock. Lau said most customers want their meat cut up, boxed and wrapped.
The carcasses were delivered in a refrigerated truck that had been cleaned, sanitized and inspected for cleanliness before it was loaded and the meat was wrapped in butcher paper, according to a statement from Yosemite Meat and Lau.
The workers were wearing sanitary smocks and gloves, which Lau said they change between deliveries. But Lau said the workers should have been wearing hard hats and hairnets and should have closed the truck doors each time they carried carcasses into the grocery store's rear entrance.
Lau said Yosemite Meat provides its employees with regular training, and the company performs regular audits and checks of its drivers, and it is taking this incident seriously.
"We are retraining our delivery staff on the importance of following our standard delivery procedures without exception," according to the company's statement. "We are dedicated to continuing excellence in providing safe, high quality products that consistently exceed consumer's expectations.
"Our bond of trust with our customers is critically important to our family and we are sorry that this video has raised questions. We look forward to continuing to provide safe, wholesome products to our customers in the local community."
Yosemite Meat has been in business for 36 years.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in an email that it is "committed to protecting public health. ... The Agency will work with local authorities and determine further actions as information becomes available."
Jim's Farm Meat – which has been in business nearly 30 years – said in its statement that the Bay Area store's loading dock was closed. "Our driver agreed to deliver meat through the front door and made the misguided decision to use a shopping cart to move the product," according to the statement.
The delivery took place Jan. 14 at the 99 Ranch Market in San Jose.
"We have retrained our employees and stressed the importance of following food safety procedures at all times, including during delivery," according to the statement. "We sincerely apologize for any concerns this incident has caused. This incident is in no way a reflection of our company and our core values."
This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Another meat delivery caught on Facebook. This Modesto company has answers.."