US urges meat companies to ensure they don’t use child labor

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Biden administration is urging U.S. meat processors to make sure children aren’t being hired illegally to perform dangerous jobs at their plants. The call comes after an investigation over the past year found more than 100 kids working overnight for a company that cleans slaughterhouses handling dangerous equipment like skull splitters and razor-sharp bone saws. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sent a letter Wednesday to the 18 largest meat and poultry producers urging them to examine the hiring practices at their companies and suppliers. The letter is part of a broader effort by the administration to crack down on the use of child labor. The Labor Department has reported a 69% increase since 2018 in the number of children being employed illegally in the U.S.