Summary

Federal investigators found 11 children, some as young as 13, working in hazardous conditions at Seaboard Triumph Foods’ pork plant in Sioux City, Iowa, over four years.

The minors cleaned dangerous equipment with corrosive chemicals, despite changes in cleaning contractors.

Both Qvest LLC and Fayette Janitorial Services, which employed children at the facility, were fined a combined $821,223.

The case highlights ongoing issues with migrant child exploitation in the U.S., where federal investigations into child labor violations have risen sharply, affecting over 4,000 minors this year.