Meat processor lays off workers in Idaho Falls

Intermountain Natural, also known as Golden Valley Natural, laid off 72 workers in its Idaho Falls meat processing plant Friday.

Company spokesperson Denise Brown said the workers were making a pet food jerky product for a private label.

She said extra people were hired last summer to help the company meet demand for the product, but that demand slowed this fall. Golden Valley Natural had hoped to keep those workers on the job in other projects, she said, but a seasonal slowdown prevented that.

Brown stressed that the overall health of the company was strong, and 175 employees are still on the job in its two Idaho Falls facilities.

Construction of a new Intermountain Natural processing plant in Shelley is continuing.