Food manufacturer cited over machine safety failures

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday that it cited a New Jersey food manufacturer for allowing employees to service and clean equipment without proper safety procedures in place.

OSHA cited Vineland-based Aunt Kitty’s Food Inc., a subsidiary of Hanover Foods Corp., for one willful, two repeat and four serious violations and proposed $463,224 in penalties.

During a September 2023 complaint-driven investigation, inspectors found that the company lacked a procedure to ensure that machinery would not unexpectedly start during the cleaning process.

The company also failed to provide proper guarding on a conveyor system, train workers on lockout/tagout procedures and conduct annual machinery audits, OSHA said.

Aunt Kitty’s has 15 business days to contest the citation and proposed penalties.