Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Congressman Paul Tonko announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has granted approval for a second food safety inspector for the Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation, which could help the Capital Region business that makes nutritious infant and toddler food grow by as much as 20-percent this year.
Beech-Nut needs to hire a second, part-time inspector at their plant in the Montgomery County town of Florida to expand production and meet demand.
Last month, Congressman Tonko and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand urged the FSIS and the Obama administration to appoint the second safety inspector, which would allow the company to add a minimum of two shifts per week.
“I want to thank the USDA for responding to this application so quickly and deciding to provide Beech-Nut with a second inspector,” said Congressman Tonko. “We must be responsive to the needs of our businesses and support job growth – this was the right decision for Beech-Nut and will help Montgomery County.”
“This is great news for Beech-Nut and the Capital Region’s economy,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Just one additional inspector will go a long way in increasing Beech-Nut’s output, meet their growing demand, help their business thrive, and help bring more jobs to the Capital Region.”
“The need for a second inspector at Beech Nut is a testament to the strength of this great company,” said Senator Schumer. “This is good news and the correct decision by the USDA. We all worked hard to keep Beech Nut and good paying jobs in Montgomery County and the Federal Government has a responsibility to aid the growth of the business when it can. I applaud the great work of my friends and colleagues Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Paul Tonko in resolving this situation.”
The approval of the second inspector will be effective on July 13th. Without the second inspector, Beech-Nut, which currently employs 435 workers in the Capital Region, would be at a disadvantage with competitors in other states, including Gerber, which has inspectors 24 hours a day, seven days a week at their plants in Michigan and Arkansas.