Joel Brandenberger, president of the National Turkey Federation, released the following statement on President Trump’s Executive Order in support of continued operations of meat and poultry processing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

“President Trump, through his Executive Order, will help turkey processors maintain critical operations to help feed American families during this challenging time while protecting the health and safety of the industry’s workforce. The National Turkey Federation and its members thank the President for his timely leadership during this crisis. His strong support of the nation’s turkey farmers, processors and workers allows our industry to further its mission of producing quality, nutritious turkey products for American consumers.

“The health and safety of our workforce remains a top priority. Poultry processors already are taking numerous measures to protect workers, including following CDC and OSHA guidelines for meat and poultry processing. The industry will maintain this strong focus on worker health and safety, and plants will operate in full accordance with those guidelines. The National Turkey Federation’s members are proud to produce food for the American people. The American food supply chain is strong, and the public should continue to have confidence in its resiliency.”