Food Distributor to Pay $1.1 Million Over Deadly Ammonia Release

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a $1.1 million civil penalty settlement with a wholesale food and snack distributor in Massachusetts.

The EPA said Home Market Foods violated federal Clean Air Act (CAA) chemical safety requirements at its food processing plant in Norwood and its cold storage warehouse in Norton. The violations involved the safe handling of anhydrous ammonia, a hazardous chemical used for cooling and refrigeration.

This enforcement action follows a chemical release at the Norwood facility on December 19, 2022. While contractors were working near refrigeration machinery, anhydrous ammonia was accidentally released, resulting in one contractor being killed and another badly injured.

EPA said it inspected the facilities and reviewed the company’s risk management program, finding that the company had not met several of the CAA’s accident prevention requirements.

EPA also found that the company did not quickly report the December 2022 release and another ammonia release in 2024 to the proper federal officials.

According to the EPA, since the accident the company has made significant safety improvements at both facilities. The EPA said the company completed several safety improvements under compliance orders issued in 2024 and 2025. Under the 2025 order, Home Market Foods is also required to hire an independent expert to check the condition and safety of key refrigeration systems at both locations.

Home Market Good products include Cooked Perfect meatballs, Eisenberg hot dogs and sausages, and RollerBites for convenience stores.