Texas cold storage facility lays off 64 employees amid meat recall

A cold storage facility in Harlingen, Texas, that has been at the center of a massive recall of frozen meals recently announced the permanent layoff of 64 employees.

Valley International Cold Storage filed a WARN notice with the Texas Workforce Commission that “there will be a mass layoff at the facility … on Sept. 15. This mass layoff is expected to be permanent.” The notice with the state was dated Oct. 4.

On Sept. 17, Valley International Cold Storage had to recall 22,061 pounds of frozen beef products due to “misbranding and undeclared allergens,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The mislabeling of meat products and undeclared allergens led to the recall of 38,000 Healthy Choice Korean-Style Beef microwaveable meals. The undeclared ingredient could pose a risk to those with milk allergies, FSIS said.

“The product contains milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label,” FSIS said. “The frozen products are labeled as Korean-style beef, but contain a chicken sausage and pepper product, which contains milk. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.”

Gary Mason, president and CEO of Valley International Cold Storage, declined to comment on the frozen meal recall or layoffs at the facility.

Valley International Cold Storage, founded in 1993, offers cold storage, cross docking, co-packing and sourcing solutions. 

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