CRF Frozen Foods laying off 243 as listeria investigation continues

CRF Frozen Foods is temporarily laying off as many as 250 workers at its Pasco plant.

The plant shut down April 22 when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked it to eight illnesses related to a strain of Listeria monocytogenes.

CRF notified the Washington State Employment Security Department that it began temporary laying off workers May 3. The notice corrects an earlier statement that an unknown number of its 180 employees would be laid off.

Thursday, a spokesman clarified that 180 employees remain at the plant and 243 were temporarily laid off.

The Tri-Cities WorkSource office will reach out to workers affected by the closure to help them apply for unemployment benefits and to assist them in finding new jobs.

CRF Frozen Foods, 1825 N. Commercial Ave., voluntarily recalled 15 products after it was linked to listeria-related illnesses in Maryland and California. It later expanded the recall to all 360 frozen and organic fruits and vegetables it packs for a variety of brands carried by retailers such as Safeway, Trader Joe’s and Costco.

The plant is closed while investigators attempt to detect the source of the common pathogen. Two people have died but their deaths are not directly attributable to listeria.

The plant won’t reopen until the federal Food and Drug Administration certifies it is safe. CRF, an affiliate of R.D. Offutt Co. of Fargo, N.D., acquired the former Bybee Foods plant in May 2013 as part of an asset sale.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 5:00 PM with the headline "CRF Frozen Foods laying off 243 as listeria investigation continues."