A former supervisor at Agriprocessors testified that he hid two workers he believed were underaged in a basement while child labor inspectors toured the facility. Brian Griffith testified this week against Sholom Rubashkin, who is being tried on 83 counts of child labor violations.

Griffith said his boss told him to hide underage workers, reports the Associated Press. One of those worker testified earlier that he worked in the plant while in high school and then full-time until the immigration raid in 2008 that detained 389 illegal immigrants. Another child laborer testified that he injured his hand on a conveyor belt in the plant’s chicken line. Supervisors told him to go back to work after his hand was bandaged, and he was given a glove.

Rubashkin was scheduled to be sentenced Thursday in federal court on 86 counts of financial fraud, but U.S. District Court Judge Linda Reade on Monday delayed sentencing in the federal case until June 22 because Rubashkin's state trial is expected to last the rest of the week.

Prosecutors have asked for a 25-year sentence in the federal case. Defense attorneys wants a six-year sentence. If convicted in state court, Rubashkin faces 30 days in jail for each child labor violation.


Source: Associated Press



Samuel Adams teams with artisan butcher

Samuel Adams is teaming up with celebrated meat expert Jake Dickson to develop the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut. This new cut of meat, launching in June, promises to be the ultimate beef and craft beer flavor combination. The brewers and Dickinson, owner of Dickson's Farmstand Meats, a specialty meat purveyor in New York City, will tap into their collective expertise to develop this original beef cut which will perfectly pair with Samuel Adams Boston Lager's complex flavor profile.

"Jake has the same enthusiasm for premium meats that we at Samuel Adams have for high-quality craft beer, and we look forward to tapping into Jake's experience with the development of the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut," said Samuel Adams Founder and Brewer Jim Koch. "The full body, classic hopping, and complexity of fermentation character make Samuel Adams Boston Lager the perfect complement to beef cuts, particularly for grilling."

The inspiration for the partnership comes from a shared passion for quality and innovation ranging from philosophy to business practices. Each year, Koch journeys around the world to source the best ingredients for the Samuel Adams family of beers, including a trek to Bavaria to hand select the world's finest Noble hops for Boston Lager. Similarly, Dickinson exercises his passion for high quality meats by making weekly trips to upstate New York to hand select the finest, most humanely-raised meats. He is dedicated to providing premium, farm-raised beef, lamb, pork, goat and poultry and elevating America's taste for artisanal meat products.

"Since opening my shop in 2009, I've been looking to create something truly unique that my customers have never tasted before," said Dickinson. "Developing the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut with the brewers at Samuel Adams is a great way to show Americans that the art of butchery goes way beyond fast food burgers--it is truly a craft."

Launching this June, the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut will be available at Dickson's Farmstand Meats and other select retailers.


Source: Samuel Adams



Chik-fil-A adds first new sandwich in 20+ years

Beginning June 7, Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide will offer a new Spicy Chicken Sandwich, the chain's first new sandwich to hit menu boards since its Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich was introduced in 1989.

The new Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich is hand-breaded, seasoned with a fiery blend of several peppers, pressure-cooked in 100 percent refined peanut oil and served on a toasted buttered bun with dill pickle chips.

"Our Spicy Chicken Sandwich offers a unique, well-balanced and 'cravable' spicy flavor that is perfect for our growing customer constituency that enjoys spicy food. Most spicy chicken sandwiches available today just heat up your mouth and do not boast a distinctive flavor. We wanted to focus on providing customers with a memorable spicy taste experience that you could only enjoy from Chick-fil-A," said William F. "Woody" Faulk, Chick-fil-A's vice president of brand strategy and design, who is responsible for the chain's menu strategy. "As for the heat level, well, we offer a wide choice of beverages to cool things down! The sandwich will definitely wake up your taste buds - so much so that we're printing a lighthearted message on the packaging warning customers that the sandwich 'may start mouth fires'."

Faulk also noted that there are various ways for customers to temper or enhance the spicy flavor of the sandwich. "One of the delicate aspects of developing this recipe was finding the right spice level to suit the majority of our customers. While we believe we found the happy medium as far as the 'kick level' is concerned, there are ways to cool down or even heat up the sandwich. Adding ranch dressing or lettuce and tomato help lower the temperature, but we also offer Pepper Jack cheese or Buffalo sauce for those who can't get enough spicy flavor."


Source: Chik-fil-A Inc.



Subway adds chicken salad sandwich for limited time

The Subway restaurant chain has introduced the new Orchard Chicken Salad Sandwich, available for a limited time only. This new sandwich creation combines tender diced chicken breast with chunks of apple, raisins and cranberries tossed in light creamy mayonnaise and served with lettuce and tomato on a choice of fresh baked bread.

"Adding crisp apples, with sweet cranberries and raisins, make a great, refreshing light sandwich," said Subway Executive Chef Chris Martone. "These fruits, with the addition of fresh vegetables, create a great sandwich or salad that is the perfect start to the summer season."

The Orchard Chicken Salad sandwich, available now through July 4, has 8 grams of fat, making a 6-inch sandwich is a Subway Fresh Fit selection.

"At Subway, we are always looking to create sandwiches and salads that not only surpass the high standards for flavor that our customers have come to expect, but are also low-fat options for a balanced diet," said Subway Corporate Dietitian Lanette Kovachi. "The Orchard Chicken Salad sandwich not only fits in perfectly in our selection of Fresh Fit meals, which include a low-fat sandwich with healthier-for-you sides, but also represent a distinct new taste that is packed with flavor."

Joining the Orchard Chicken Salad as limited-time offer sandwiches is the Chicken Bacon Ranch and the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwiches.


Source: Subway



Man survives being sucked into sausage seasoning machine

An employee at Danvers, Mass., DiLigui Sausage Co. was taken to the hospital after being sucked into a vacuum machine that seasons the meat. The machine somehow activated while it was being cleaned, and the employee’s head and shoulders got stuck in the machine.

The Salem News reports that the employee, who was not named, was freed from the machine an showed no obvious signs of trauma but was taken to the hospital as a precaution. OSHA is investigating the accident.


Source: The Eagle Herald