January 26, 2010

US meat firm aims to open processing plant

American Food Products, a Montana-based food processing company, says it plans to start making sausage, jerky and cooked ground at an old meat plant as soon as it gets final approval from the USDA.

The old Montana Territory Meats plant has not operated since 2002.

Company officials say they will market the products under the name Montana Cattle Co.

In addition, the company wants to produce premium cuts of natural Montana-boxed beef that it will market nationally and to the Asian Pacific.

American Food Products CEO Ron Oberlander stays confident that the plant will succeed even though the state has not had a large meatpacking operation in 25 years.