General Foods Corporation was founded in 1929 after a series of corporate mergers. In 1954 General Foods built a facility in Tarrytown, New York in Westchester County. General Foods was later purchased by Phillip Morris in 1985, and became Kraft Foods in 1989. Another change came in 1995, when Kraft Foods merged with Heinz.

Unfortunately, employees at Tarrytown General Foods were exposed to asbestos via the heating and steam system and laboratory equipment. Asbestos was released during routine maintenance of the boiler door gasket. Asbestos insulation was disturbed while maintaining the many pipes, pumps and valves that connected the boilers throughout the facility, causing exposure to all those workers in the area. The high heat of the steam boilers often caused the breakdown of gaskets. The removal of asbestos material involved scraping and wire brushing, which also released asbestos dust into the air.

Through the 1970’s asbestos was used in the laboratory for a variety of reasons, causing dangerous exposure to General Foods workers. Workers were provided with protective clothing made from asbestos textiles, including lab coats, aprons, mitts and blankets. Fume hoods, tables and countertops, Bunsen burner diffuser mats, centrifuges, and gauze pads all contained asbestos materials. If you or a family member ever worked at General Foods and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, please contact the attorneys at Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford, LLC.  You may be entitled to compensation for your asbestos-related injuries.