JBS Louisville Pork Plant Reports Ammonia Leak; No Injuries Reported

June 28, 2023

Company investigating the cause of the incident that forced evacuation of the facility.

The JBS pork plant in Louisville, Ky., reported an ammonia leak this morning that forced the evacuation of the plant, according to local news reports. Fire and rescue personnel were called to the facility in Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood around 7:30 a.m. local time.

No injuries were reported, and the leak had been stopped, according to the most recent updates. Firefighters were ventilating the building to ensure the safety of the plant environment before letting employees return. A JBS representative told one media outlet that they company was investigating the cause of the incident.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.