Maple Leaf Plants Recognized For Workplace Safety Achievements

Company achieves corporate and industry best in 2018

Mississauga, ON /PRNewswire/ - Four Maple Leaf Foods (TSX: MFI) plants were recognized on Tuesday by the North American Meat Institute and the National Safety Council with awards for their workplace safety achievements.

Speedvale in Guelph, Ontario, Cappola in Toronto, Ontario, and Walker Drive in Brampton, Ontario, all received the Award of Honor while Toronto Poultry in Toronto, Ontario, received the Award of Merit. In September 2018, Maple Leaf's Edmonton plant received the Award of Honor from the Poultry Industry Safety Council.

The Institute's Worker Safety Recognition Awards Program aims to motivate employers to improve their safety performance through the establishment of sound safety and health programs at the plant level, and to recognize those plants that have achieved a high level of safety performance as part of a continuing effort to reduce occupational injury and illness. All Maple Leaf plants that applied for awards were recognized.

Workplace safety is a key priority for Maple Leaf. In 2009, the company adopted a "Safety Promise" to dedicate itself to enhancing workplace safety and food safety. Four years later, Maple Leaf began an internal safety awards program designed to keep the spotlight on safety, and each year, top performing plants are honoured internally in a special ceremony. More recently, in 2018, the company declared its purpose to "Raise the Good in Food" through a progressive and purposeful sustainability platform including a strong focus on caring for people.

Maple Leaf Foods leads the North American meat, poultry, prepared meats, and hog and pig farming industries in overall safety performance. In 2018, the company's overall "recordable injury rate" reached an all-time company low (0.66), comparable to world leaders in "all manufacturing". In addition, in 2018, 29 Maple Leaf sites within the corporate family of plants and barns sustained zero recordable injuries.

"Today we celebrate our operational achievements in workplace safety, but we know there is still work to be done to make our workplaces even safer," said Michael H. McCain, president and CEO. "We have set a goal to reduce injuries by an additional 20 per cent by 2021, on the path to our aspiration of zero injuries at all Maple leaf sites."

About Maple Leaf Foods
Maple Leaf Foods is a leading consumer protein company, with a vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth. Maple Leaf makes high quality, innovative products under national brands including Maple Leaf®, Maple Leaf Prime®, Maple Leaf Natural Selections®, Schneiders®, Schneiders® Country Naturals®, Mina®, SWIFT®, Lightlife TM and Field Roast Grain Meat Co.TM. The Company employs approximately 11,500 people and does business in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).