(This story was updated to add new information.)
Perdue Foods LLC was found to have violated its Milford facility permit due to incomplete documentation, inaccuracies and a history with mechanical failures on-site.
Perdue Foods is a division of Perdue Farms, one of the country’s largest poultry producers. Its facility in Milford, located at 255 N. Rehoboth Blvd., employs around 1,300 people and processes around 240,000 chickens per day.
Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued a notice of violation to the company on Sept. 3. The violation notice comes just over a month after the company’s subsidiary Perdue Agribusiness reached a $12 million settlement with Maryland’s environmental department, and it reflects similar violations issued by Delaware in 2023.
According to Michael Globetti, media relations manager with DNREC, the notice of violation is merely a “first enforcement measure.” No penalties or fees were imposed, but if the company does not take necessary action to correct its violations, a secretary’s order could be issued with further penalties.