MOUNT OLIVE, NC. — An external contractor working on a project at Butterball’s Mount Olive, NC, facility died on Feb. 22 from injuries sustained during an accident, the company confirmed.

The name of the person who passed away was not released.

“We are deeply saddened, and we extend our sincere condolences to their family and friends,” a Butterball spokesperson told MEAT+POULTRY. “We will continue to coordinate closely with the relevant authorities as the investigation remains ongoing.”

The North Carolina Department of Labor confirmed that it opened an inspection into the fatality.

In June 2023, Butterball and Darling Ingredients Inc. announced that the companies signed a letter of intent to explore the construction of a poultry rendering plant next to the company’s Mount Olive facility. The new plant could process around 18 million lbs of material weekly through three lines.