Statement of Support from Perdue Farms on the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry's Workplace Requirements to Keep Communities Safe from COVID-19

SALISBURY, Md., July 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The state of Virginia has enacted new mandatory requirements for workplaces to keep employees safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, effective today. Perdue Farms employs more than 3,300 associates throughout its Virginia facilities including poultry operations in Accomac and Bridgewater, distribution center in Prince George, and a deepwater port and grain facility in Chesapeake, as well as nearly 70 poultry farm families and more than 800 grain farmers, contributing nearly $930 million in economic impact to the state annually. Perdue's poultry facilities fall into Virginia's "Medium Risk" category. Other types of businesses in this category include schools, daycares, grocery stores, correctional facilities, sports and entertainment venues, and more.

Today, Mark McKay, President of Perdue Foods, issued the following statement:

"While we are already – and have been beginning in early March – in compliance with the State of Virginia's new safety measures in accordance with CDC guidelines, we welcome these requirements and applaud the officials responsible for enacting them with the shared value of protecting our colleagues and neighbors. Perdue Farms firmly believes that the health of our associates must come first in everything we do. Our ability to be part of our nation's food supply throughout this pandemic is due to our company's, including our associates', responsiveness and attention to social distancing, sanitation, use of masks and other personal protective equipment, and much more to keep COVID-19 at bay. Throughout this pandemic, Perdue has been ahead of the curve in putting measures in place to mitigate COVID-19 often before guidance from federal or state agencies was available, and we have continually added new precautions as we learned more and guidance from public health experts evolved. Perdue remains committed to creating the safest possible workplace for our essential, frontline employees in the state of Virginia and nationwide."

A complete list of steps Perdue Farms has taken to protect and support associates throughout COVID-19 is provided on the company's COVID-19 Response web page. These actions meet or exceed guidance set by the CDC and the State of Virginia. Additionally, in May, the CDC toured Perdue's facility in Accomac, Va. and affirmed that steps the company had implemented are best-in-class and effective in protecting associates. More information about the CDC's visit can be found here.

About Perdue Farms

We're a fourth-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.

The PERDUE® brand is the number-one brand of fresh chicken in the U.S., and the company is the leader in organic chicken in the U.S., and Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company. Now in our centennial year, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey and pork, and in USDA-certified organic chicken. Learn more at corporate.perduefarms.com.

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SOURCE Perdue Farms