Food Processing Plants Fires Conspiracy Theory
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About
Food Processing Plants Fires Conspiracy Theory is a conspiracy claiming that the streak of fires at food processing facilities that started in September 2021 is not a coincidence but rather a deliberate plot to cause food shortage in the United States. The theory found a reflection in memes spread across social media starting in late April 2022 going into the following months.
Origin
On April 19th, 2022, Twitter[1] user @julieanngirly tweeted about a fire that destroyed the headquarters of Azure Standard[2] located in Dufur, Oregon, which happened less than a week after a fire destroyed a Taylor Farms facility in Salinas, California on April 14th.[3] The tweet (shown below, left) gained over 240 retweets and 340 likes in roughly two months.
On April 20th, 2022, Twitter[4] user @GraduatedBen tweeted, "Several very large food processing plants in the US have blown up/burned down in the past few days," linking a February article about an explosion that destroyed a Shearer's Foods facility in Hermiston, Oregon.[5] The tweet (shown below, center) gained over 10,300 retweets and 14,600 likes in two months. On the same day, Twitter[6] user @DylanRMarshall replied with a collage of 18 headlines about fires at food processing plants and other facilities dating between September 2021 and April 2022 (shown below, right).
Spread
On April 21st, 2022, Twitter[7] user @WallStreetSilv tweeted the collage, writing, "18 U.S. food processing facilities burned down in the last six months. Azure Standard's HQ burned down yesterday." The tweet gained over 11,500 retweets and 21,700 likes prior to being deleted.
Later on that same day, Twitter[8][9] users @cbcool2532 and @jasonrantz both posted a clip of Fox News covering a story of a small plane crashing into a parking lot of a General Mills plane. The April 21st report explicitly stated that the plane crashed into the factory rather than a parking lot, and recounted several recent industrial incidents at food processing plants. The clips gained over 560,000 views and 139,000 views in two months, respectively (@cbcool2532's upload shown below). Twitter[10] user @maga935 tweeted about the crash later that day, writing, "food processors being destroyed everywhere," with the tweet gaining over 5,100 retweets and 13,300 likes in a similar timeframe.
Another food processing plant gets hit and finally someone is covering it. Bout time. pic.twitter.com/DxTXoWyRsB
— Secret Squirel (@cbcool2532) April 22, 2022
Also on April 21st, The Free Thought Project[11] and Timcast[12] posted articles about fires at food processing plants, with Timcast recounting "at least 16 fires at food processing plants" since a fire closed a Tyson Foods meat processing plant in Kansas in 2019.
On April 22nd, Facebook[13] page The Bad Roman posted the earliest found meme referencing the conspiracy, which implied that the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial was a distraction, using a Bending Streetlight meme that gained over 190 reactions and 22,000 shares in two months (shown below, left). On April 24th, Twitter[14] user @OrwellNGoode reposted the image, with the post gaining over 14,500 retweets and 145,600 likes in a similar timeframe. On April 26th, the Instagram[15] page thelibertarianhomeschooler posted a similar object-labeling meme that gained over 4,800 likes in a month and a half (authorship unconfirmed; shown below, right). On April 27th, @OrwellNGoode made a repost[16] that gained over 1,800 retweets and 19,200 likes in a similar amount of time.
On April 25th and 27th, fact-checking organizations Snopes[17] and Logically[18] reviewed the conspiracy theory, with both rating it as false, and Logically describing it as a part of the larger Great Reset conspiracy.
In June 2022, the conspiracy theory received a significant surge in virality after on May 28th, 2022, a fire destroyed a Forsman Farms' barn that housed tens of thousands of chickens.[19] In the days following the report, an increased number of posts and memes about the conspiracy were posted on Twitter,[20] iFunny,[21] 4chan[22] and other sites. For example, on June 4th, Twitter user @BeeMatney made a tweet claiming that the facility was "mysteriously torched" and that it was the 19th time that happened in 2022.
Various Examples
![Bee Matne Babamey In case you're not paying attention I'll help you out Farm burnings Anonymous [313 / 66 / 207] ID: QH63/r2c Mon 06 Jun 2022 02:53:29 No.381169206 This is one of the largest egg farms in the country. Mysteriously torched That's food factory #19 in 2022. View Reply Original Report Quoted By: >>381169473 >>381169481 >>381169496 >>381170298 >>381170479 >>381170972 >>381171017 >>381171244 >>381171492 >>381172820 >>381172999 >>381173252 >>381173308 >>381173910 >>381173924 >>381174899 >>381175997 >>381176313 >>381176355 >>381176605 >>381176959 >>381177507 >>381178197 >>381178439 >>381178531 >>381178694 >>381178891 >>381181167 >>381181665 >>381181705 >>381185323 >>381185383 >>381185393 >>381187664 >>381187824 >>381187966 >>381188186 >>381188248 >>381188584 >>381188821 >>381189360 >>381189630 >>381189735 >>381189889 >>381189918 >>381189930 >>381189981 >>381190317 >>381190498 >>381191632 >>381192301 >>381192659 >>381192763 >>381192947 >>381193114 >>381194138 >>381194437 >>381194540 >>381194876 >>381195214 >>381195515 >>381195527 >>381195578 >>381195750 >>381195965 >>381196277 >>381197258 >>381198071 >>381198157 >>381200896 >>381201550 >>381201756 >>381201909 >>381203270 >>381204267 >>381204572 >>381205513 >>381205601 >>381205947 11:23 AM 04 Aon 22 Twitter for Andr 774KiB, 983x1326, 165449829416709628.png View Same Google iqdb SauceNAO Trace What the f--- is going on?](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/383/383/596.jpg "\"What the f--- is going on?\"")
Search Interest
External References
[1] Twitter – @julieanngirly
[2] Columbia Gorge News – Fire destroys Azure Standard Headquarter Facility
[3] The Californian – Taylor Farms building in Salinas is a 'total loss' after large fire. What happens now?
[4] Twitter – @GraduatedBen
[5] Newsweek – 7 Injured in Explosion as Fire Engulfs Food Plant; Smoke Visible for Miles
[6] Twitter – @DylanRMarshall
[7] Internet Archive – @WallStreetSilv
[8] Twitter – @cbcool2532
[9] Twitter – @jasonrantz
[11] The Free Thought Project – Multiple Large Food Processing & Distribution Plants in US Have Recently Exploded or Burned Down
[12] Timcast – Strange Trend of Food Processing Plant Fires Appears Across the US
[13] Facebook – The Bad Roman
[14] Twitter – @OrwellNGoode
[15] Instagram –
thelibertarianhomeschooler
[16] Twitter – @OrwellNGoode
[17] Snopes – Are Fires at Food Processing Plants a ‘New Trend’?
[18] Logically – Fires at food processing plants in the U.S. have been deliberately planned due to food shortages.
[19] Fox Metro News – One Of The Largest Egg Factories In US Torched In The Middle Of The Night Amid Outbreak Of Fires In Food Processing Facilities Across The Nation
[20] Twitter – @BeeMatney
[21] iFunny – Mosley_Actual
[22] 4chan – /pol/ Thread #381169206
Related Entries 56 total
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![Posted by u/Blopwher 2 months ago 2 Debunking Twitter food processing plant fire conspiracy Discussion A strange talking point about the mainstream media not reporting on 18+ food processing plant fires across the US has been spreading on Twitter. Here are some quick takes: OrwellNGoode: "Over a dozen food distribution centers mysteriously burning to the ground in the last 6 months" (50k+ likes) WallStreetSilv: "This is an odd coincidence ... 18 U.S. food processing facilities burned down in the last six months." (20k+ likes) maga935: "Plane just crashed into major food processing.plant. What the hell is going on? Food processors being destroyed everywhere." (10k+ likes) JamesMelville: "16+ fires have broken out in food processing plants across the US. This should be a major story, yet the mainstream media aren't reporting on it... " (6k+ likes) cbcool2532: "Another food processing plant gets hit and finally someone is covering it. Bout time. " (20k+ likes, Tucker Carlson) I'm going to focus on providing sources and supporting the work done by levelzerozero (100+ likes...) as well as responding to the following picture being passed around: Photos: Bonanza Meat Co. building fire on Paisano Drive near Downtown El Paso Cattle rescued after fire destroys meat market This is the second time that East Conway Beef & Pork has burned Fire Causes Over $100,000 In Damages At San Antonio Food Processing Plant 8p Large fire at Tyson poultry meal plant in Hanceville, Alabama Fire erupts at meat processing facility in Lackawanna County 10. WVTME FIRE RAVAGES MCCRUM POTATO PROCESSING PLANT IN BELFAST, MAINE March 24 The fire broke out around 5:30 p.m. at the Maid-Rite Steak Company Fire shuts down Hot Pockets plant in Jonesboro meat processing plant Multiple alarm fire at food processing operation on Hamilton Mountain Crews battle major fire at Cobb Wisconsin River Meats says portion of Mauston plant a total loss after fire County meat company wastewarty 1.2002 627 and Louis Drey Dreyfus reports fire at largest US soybean, biodiesel plant 16 Feb 2022 Mark Shenk FIRE SHUTS DOWN NEBRASKA JBS BEEF PLANT Fire destroys Deli Star meat plant in St. Clair Los refus Company (LDC) on Wednesday said that a fire broke out Tuesday at its C County Indiana, which is the largest integrated soybean p sean processing and bodiesel plant in the pool facility in Memphis Fire Department responds to 3rd alarm fire at Kellogg's Company 6000 SEVERAL AREA DEPARTMENTS RESPOND TO FIRE AT SMITHFIELD FOODS The Standard the nation premindependent distrutor of organic and healthy food mpact on company wie petons et nepected to be any other By FOX3Memphis.com News Staff July 25, 2013 Massive fire at Salinas food processing plant contained, evacuations lifted Explosion Causes Fire At Oregon Potato Chip Plant Explosion and Fire Reported at Cargill- Nutrena Feed Mill By Zach unte Local news broadcaster KALB said the blace at the Lecompte, LA facility burned for 12 hours on Thursday. https://gab.com/Ferrisfueller Each red box circles a date. Looking at this image, I count 19 headlines, with the yellow box being nearly unreadable. I guess readability doesn't matter when you can throw this around and connect them all to say that there are coordinated attacks on our most important food processing plants. So, let's go through each one by one. Bonanza Meat Co. building fire, El Paso, TX: The building was abandoned and has problems with homeless people and illegal dumping. "Esparza said the building has been abandoned for several years. He said it use [sic] to be a meat market" (CBS4 News). Maid-Rite Steak Co. Lackawanna County, PA: The fire was accidental and found "along a wall where an air purifying system's duct work was... for the plant's oven" (PA Homepage). Patak Meat Company, Cobb County, GA: This local manufacturer of meats and retail deli's factor caught fire without damage to "smokers and dry goods" (WSB-TV). In fact, their Facebook is active and advertising, so it seems like their retail operations are functional again. Grand Island, NE JBS Plant: Fire erupts on Sunday, plant shuts down on Monday, and reopens on Tuesday. Primary_production area was not impacted. The company is expanding capabilities in their Omaha and Grand Island facilities (Brownfield AG News). Azure Standard Headquarters, Dufur, OR: The headquarters of this organic food distributor was burned. The impact on operations is "expected to be limited and temporary" with supporting statement from CEO in article (Columbia Gorge News). Taylor Farms facility, Salinas, CA: "The Salinas fire chief says that a welding project sparked a fire in the wall and then spread to the attic in the facility" (NBC Bay Area). East Conway, NH Butcher Shop (Cattle Rescued): Local butcher shop, with 2 cattle casualties (Conway Daily Sun). Probably not a vital food source whose destruction is crippling and scary. Tyson poultry plant, Hanceville, AL: Tyson is investing $208 million to replace the plant (AL.com) Nestle Hot Pockets and frozen foods plant, Jonesboro, AR: The fire broke out in a cooler and was contained (Arkansas Times). Wisconsin River Meats, Mauston, WI: Only the old portion of the plant was burned down. Additionally, they state that "meat and orders are stored in a different building and are not affected" (NBC 15). Their Facebook shows they have a new store as of April 22, 2022, 2 months after the fire. Deli Star Meat Plant, St. Clair County, IL: The fire is not considered suspicious, and what fed the fire wa foam in the warehouse walls and ceiling (Longview News-Journal). Smithfield Foods, Monmouth, IL: The fire was on the production side and did not cause a lot of damage (The Register-Mail). Shearer's Foods Potato Chip plant, Hermiston, OR: The fire was caused by a portable boiler fueled by natural gas (OPB). Also, a potato chip facility is not critical to our survival. West Side Food Processing Plant, San Antonio, TX: "Firefighters said the damage to the building is mostly smoke damage but that the estimate is over $100,000 because of the food that was exposed to the smoke" (KSAT). McCrum Potato processing plant, Belfast, ME: Fire was believed to be caused by a Fryolator, a deep- frying machine (WMTW). Poultry processing plant, Hamilton Mountain, ONTARIO?!!: This isn't even in the US but there was "a working fire in the freezer storage area of the building" (Global News). Kellogg's plant, Memphis, TN: The cause of the fire was accidental and by "a conveyor belt [that] malfunctioned and ignited combustibles in a rice dryer machine" (WATN-TV). Cargill-Nutrena Animal feed mill, Lecompte, LA: The cause of the fire is under investigation and there has been no updates I could find since January 2022, when it happened (KALB-TV). So, that's all. I bolded increased the size of what I thought were the most dishonest and ridiculous headlines to include. Writing and checking sources for this took me around 2 hours, in which the Orwell & Goode tweet jumped about 20k likes. Tucker Carlson covered this in a segment where he brought someone on to talk about how this would impact the food supply, and the opening headline was "SMALL PLANE CRASHES INTO GENERAL MILLS PLANT IN GA". In fact, let's check that right now... General Mills cereal plant, Covington, GA: The spokesperson for General Mills said that "a small plane crashed 'near' the facility and that no employees were harmed" (Newsweek). In fact, this article cites the police captain Ken Malcolm, who said to WAGA-TV that "the fact that it didn't crash into the plant saved many lives"(FOX5). This crash is probably what sparked the latest wave of twitter posts and the Tucker Carlson segment, and it's all based on a small plane crashing into most likely empty tractor trailers near a plant. Incredible reporting here. TL;DR: A picture going around with 19 headlines fits a conspiracy that can be spread around and speculated on but which no article supports (local plants, not even processing food, reopened quickly). The general sentiment is that we are under attack and the mainstream media is not covering it, and it seems like the sentiment comes before reality for many people.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/list/002/383/392/7af.jpg "Debunking Twitter food processing plant fire conspiracy")
![View Same Destructive Events over Time Food Processing pant Grain Sito Fee -Destroyed Cattle/Poultry/s -Warhouse Fire Feet Processing plent Hestares Lost 862KiB, 2274x2659, tfwp8tmuiry81.jpg Google iqdb SauceNAO Trace ↓ Food processing plant [21/7/15] fires Anonymous ID: M2Y0b22x Thu 09 Jun 2022 10:45:36 No.381625307 View Reply Original Report Quoted By: >>381625500 >>381626130 >>381628543 >>381633240 Whats the consensus on all the recent fires at food processing plants? My parents claim it's a conspiracy theory and not a coordinated attack on our food supply. Are we just paying attention more or are they trying to induce starvation as a form of population control?](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/list/002/383/388/aa8.jpg "\"Whats the consensus on all the recent fires at food processing plants\"")
![LEAT STORIES Fast Check Fact Check: Recent Fires At US Food Processing Plants Do NOT Show Plot To Cause Food Shortage Por 2222 by Sane Thompson ♥ Tweet FOOD POODDING RANTS THAT ARE No Pattern 2MiB, 1242x1818, unknown-56.png View Same Google iqdb SauceNAO Trace STORY UPDATED [35/6/30] Anonymous ID: 8ZRK3Zr7 Tue 07 Jun 2022 14:13:30 No.381369187 View Reply Original Repo rt Quoted By: >>381369521 >>381369549 >>381369668 >>381369768 >>381369873 >>381370012 >>381370060 >>381371722 >>381371896 >>381372128 >>381373803 >>381373960 >fact check: Recent fires at US food processing plants do NOT show Plot to Cause food shortage /pol/ was wrong again Imao](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/list/002/383/387/f0b.jpg "How Will /pol/ Ever Recover")
![Bee Matne Babamey In case you're not paying attention I'll help you out Farm burnings Anonymous [313 / 66 / 207] ID: QH63/r2c Mon 06 Jun 2022 02:53:29 No.381169206 This is one of the largest egg farms in the country. Mysteriously torched That's food factory #19 in 2022. View Reply Original Report Quoted By: >>381169473 >>381169481 >>381169496 >>381170298 >>381170479 >>381170972 >>381171017 >>381171244 >>381171492 >>381172820 >>381172999 >>381173252 >>381173308 >>381173910 >>381173924 >>381174899 >>381175997 >>381176313 >>381176355 >>381176605 >>381176959 >>381177507 >>381178197 >>381178439 >>381178531 >>381178694 >>381178891 >>381181167 >>381181665 >>381181705 >>381185323 >>381185383 >>381185393 >>381187664 >>381187824 >>381187966 >>381188186 >>381188248 >>381188584 >>381188821 >>381189360 >>381189630 >>381189735 >>381189889 >>381189918 >>381189930 >>381189981 >>381190317 >>381190498 >>381191632 >>381192301 >>381192659 >>381192763 >>381192947 >>381193114 >>381194138 >>381194437 >>381194540 >>381194876 >>381195214 >>381195515 >>381195527 >>381195578 >>381195750 >>381195965 >>381196277 >>381197258 >>381198071 >>381198157 >>381200896 >>381201550 >>381201756 >>381201909 >>381203270 >>381204267 >>381204572 >>381205513 >>381205601 >>381205947 11:23 AM 04 Aon 22 Twitter for Andr 774KiB, 983x1326, 165449829416709628.png View Same Google iqdb SauceNAO Trace What the f--- is going on?](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/list/002/383/383/596.jpg "\"What the f--- is going on?\"")
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Dukurow
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