OSHA investigating employee accident at Le Sueur Cheese
By DANA MELIUS dmelius@lesueurnews-herald.com
Updated Oct 20, 2016
The state's Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed it is investigating an Oct. 11 accident at Le Sueur Cheese in which an employee sustained injuries resulting in the loss of an arm.
"It's definitely in our systems," a state OSHA investigaor confirmed Oct. 19. No other comments could be provide due to the ongoing investigation.
Reports indicate that Jake Krekelberg, 31, a production supervisor at the Le Sueur Cheese Company at 719 North Main St., was attempting to remove material and unplug a machine when the incident occurred.
Le Sueur Ambulance President Monica Muchow confirmed the emergency service was called and responded to an industrial accident at Le Sueur Cheese 2:13 a.m. Oct. 11. Assisting on the call were the Le Sueur Police Department, Le Sueur Fire Department, Mayo 3 Air, and Le Sueur County Sheriff's Department, according to Muchow.
The patient was transported by Mayo 3 to Hennpin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Krekelberg has since returned home and issued this comment Oct. 14 on his personal Facebook page:
"I would like to thank everyone for all the different forms of support. It has been mind blowing how many have reached out … I want you to know it is working because I am feeling great and am completely ready to get life back to normal."
Le Sueur Cheese Company is owned by Agropur, a Canadian-based dairy cooperative based in Quebec which purchased the plant from Davisco Foods International in July 2014. Attempts to reach plant manager Mark Spence for comments have been unsuccessful.
The Minnesota OSHA is managed and administered through the state Department of Labor and Industry in St. Paul.
At Davisco Foods International our passion is quality. A family-owned dairy company, we supply the world with the finest dairy ingredients. From cheese to whey protein to lactose, our global sales team and worldwide network of trading partners offer global supply. Through groundbreaking protein technology and flexible process manufacturing our dairy ingredients have become the industry standard for quality.
As your partner in product development, we are innovative, flexible and market-driven. We respond to your needs and take pride in making your product goals a reality. We invite you to discover our capabilities.
Davisco Foods is an international cheese and food ingredient company headquartered in Le Sueur, MN. Founded in 1943 by Stanley Davis, with his purchase of the St. Peter Creamery, Davisco is managed by Jon Davis, CEO and grandson of the founder. Davisco has cheese companies in Le Sueur, MN, Jerome, ID and Lake Norden, SD as well as food ingredient companies in Le Sueur and Nicollet, MN, Lake Norden, SD and Jerome, ID. Davisco has sales offices in Minneapolis, Geneva, Shanghai, Singapore and worldwide strategic partners in the Middle East, Japan, China and Africa.
Davisco processes 11 million pounds of milk per day into cheese and whey products. Davisco prides itself in its support of local communities by providing jobs and buying milk from regional farmers. Meticulous about quality control and excellent customer service, Davisco's mission is to lead the industry in food technology by producing innovative proteins for health and nutrition.
A pioneer in whey protein isolate research, Davisco is the largest and most experienced manufacturer of Ion Exchange whey protein products in the world. Davisco produces over 10 million pounds of whey protein isolates annually, accounting for 65% of whey protein isolates sold worldwide. Whey protein isolates are found in 50% of grocery products today, including sports drinks, reduced fat candies, low-fat salad dressings, infant formula, yogurts, dips, shelf-stable baking mixes, and low fat cheese sauces.