Department of Labor investigators said they discovered on May 1 "oppressive child labor" at the poultry plant in Alabama, "namely children working on the kill floor deboning poultry and cutting carcasses," after obtaining a civil search warrant.
According to court documents, the company, Mar-Jac Poultry, denied knowing it had any employees who were under 18 years.
In a statement to ABC News, Mar-Jac said the minors were hired with documents "that showed they were over 18 years of age.".
The Department of Labor is seeking a court order to stop the company from selling and shipping "poultry tainted by oppressive child labor" from the company's plant in Alabama, according to court filings.
The Alabama plant was cited in December by OSHA for a serious violation after an employee was injured.
According to the Department of Labor, last year 5,800 children were employed in violation of child labor laws, representing an 88% increase since 2019.
And of the 955 child labor cases that were investigated and closed by federal regulators in 2023, more than half involved minors employed in violation of hazardous occupation laws. »
