For the second time in less than a year, a sanitation contractor for Seaboard Triumph Foods LLC in Sioux City was found to employ children doing dangerous work at the pork processing plant.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa approved a consent order and judgment Nov. 27 with Qvest LLC. Under terms of the agreement, Qvest must pay $171,919 in child labor civil money penalties, hire a third-party to review and implement company policies to prevent the employment of children and establish a process for reporting concerns about the illegal employment of children.

In an emailed statement, Seaboard Triumph Foods (STF) said that none of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) filings included their company. It said it has not contracted with Qvest, “who had express contractual requirements to follow all labor laws,” for more than a year.

“STF did not employ any of the alleged individuals and has no evidence that any underage individuals accessed the plant,” the statement said.

The statement, which quotes former head of DOL’s Wage and Hour Division and current Seaboard counsel Paul DeCamp, also pointed out that employers across the country are struggling with the problem of people, including minors, being able to obtain jobs through fraudulent identification documents sophisticated enough to fool even the federal government’s E-Verify system.

“Businesses are victimized by this fraud,” DeCamp said in the statement.

“Safety, ethical practices and compliance with regulations and industry standards are of paramount importance to STF. We expect the same from our vendors and partners, and we will not tolerate any vendor’s use of underage labor within our facility, and will also take measures to prevent fraud against our company,” the statement said.

Qvest did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Federal law forbids children under age 18 from being employed in dangerous jobs common in meat and poultry slaughtering, processing, rendering and packing operations.

A DOL investigation determined that 11 children had been employed during the night shift and were using corrosive cleaners to clean head splitters, jaw pullers, bandsaws, neck clippers and other equipment within the facility. The DOL did not provide ages of the child workers.

Earlier this year, the federal court levied nearly $650,000 in penalties against Fayette Janitorial Services of Somerville, Tennessee, after hiring 24 children, some as young as 13, to clean dangerous equipment at Seaboard Triumph.

Seaboard Triumph announced in February it was cancelling its contracts with Fayette after the DOL investigation found the children working in the plant and sought a court injunction to stop it. Fayette had taken over the sanitation duties from Qvest in September 2023 and rehired some of the children that Qvest previously employed, according to a DOL new release.

Seaboard Triumph contracted with Qvest for cleaning services from 2019 until September 2023, when it hired Fayette.

JBS USA announced in April 2023 that it would start its own sanitation service at its meatpacking facilities including Marshalltown, cutting ties with Packers Sanitation Services, Inc., (PSSI) after it admitted employing approximately 100 children at several JBS plants throughout the Midwest and was fined $1.5 million.

PSSI admitted having workers ages 13 to 17 clean 13 slaughterhouses, although none were in Iowa.

“The U.S. Department of Labor is determined to end the illegal employment of children in our nation’s workplaces,” DOL regional solicitor Christine Z. Heri said in a news release. “We are committed to using all strategies to stop and prevent unlawful child labor and holding all employers legally responsible for their actions. Children should never be hired to perform dangerous and prohibited tasks.”

In fiscal year 2024, the DOL concluded 736 investigations uncovering child labor violations that affected 4,030 children, and assessed employers more than $15.1 million in penalties for violating federal child labor laws, an 89 percent increase since 2023.

Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.

AMES — Less than a week ago, Iowa State football made history.

The No. 16 Cyclones finished the regular season with a win, beating Kansas State 29-21, to secure a 10-win season for the first time in program history.

But the team’s focus quickly turned from celebration to preparation for the Big 12 championship game, where the Cyclones will take on No. 13 Arizona State at 11 a.m. Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Here are three takeaways from head coach Matt Campbell’s media availability ahead of the title game.

More: Hines: From scandal and setback, Iowa State football arrives in Big 12 championship game

Arizona State poses several threats on offense

There’s been a lot of focus on the loss of Jordyn Tyson – Arizona State’s 1,000-yard receiver – who will miss the Big 12 championship with an injury.

But that doesn’t mean the Sun Devils are out of options on offense. Wide receiver Xavier Guillory totaled 291 yards and three touchdowns on 17 receptions, averaging 17.12 yards per catch. Tight end Chamon Metayer is another threat, recording 285 yards and five touchdowns on 28 catches.

And then there is running back Cam Skattebo, who is just as big a threat catching passes as he is running the football.

“They’re dynamic,” Campbell said of Arizona State’s offense. “They have such a unique ability to put the pressure on the defense in every way, shape and form. Obviously, you never want to lose a good football player this time of year.

“But good football teams have great players, and they’ve certainly got a collection of those guys.”

More: Will Iowa State make College Football Playoff? Bracket scenarios, predictions

Arizona State’s turnover margin could cause problems

If there is one thing that the Sun Devils do well, it’s create turnovers.

Arizona State boasts a turnover margin of plus-11, meaning it has caused nearly a dozen more turnovers than they’ve given up. That margin of 11 is the 11th-best among all FBS teams.

The Sun Devils recovered five fumbles and have lost three. But the real difference is in interceptions, where Arizona State has 14 to its opponents’ cumulative five.

“Just look at their last four games, they’ve been able to create turnovers early and often,” Campbell said. “Whether it’s been on defense or whether it’s been on special teams, they’ve had the ability to attack and certainly be the aggressor.”

More: Flight prices from Iowa to Dallas for Iowa State vs Arizona State in Big 12 championship

Iowa State injury update

It feels like each week, there is a laundry list of injury updates on injured players, and the week heading into the conference championship is no different.

Campbell provided updates on linebackers Caleb Bacon and Cael Brezina, defensive back Mailk Verdon and tight end Ben Brahmer.

“Caleb is back doing football activity, and I think he’s a lot closer than he is farther away,” Campbell said. “He’s still not ruled out for the season, so I think that’s a huge positive for Iowa State football.

“Ben’s a lot closer, was out on the practice field today. Where is he, can he really go in and play? We’ll see as the week continues. Cael is probably still a question mark right now, and then Malik, was out at practice today, so I think there’s a real possibility that he would be able to be available for us.”

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

Thanks to a three-game win streak to end the year, the Iowa State football team finds itself headed to Dallas for the Big 12 Conference championship game.

Awaiting the Cyclones (10-2) will be red-hot Arizona State (10-2), who has also caught fire as the temperatures after dropped. 

But where do both ISU and ASU fit in according to the Big 12 power rankings? Glad you asked, as we have compiled just that information for your reading pleasure.

Final Regular Season Big 12 Power Rankings

1. Iowa State (10-2)

2. Arizona State (10-2)

3. Colorado (9-3)

4. Kansas State (8-4)

5. BYU (10-2)

6. Baylor (8-4)

7. TCU (8-4)

8. Texas Tech (8-4)

9. Kansas (5-7)

10. West Virginia (6-6)

11. Cincinnati (5-7)

12. Utah (5-7

13. UCF (4-8)

14. Houston (4-8)

15. Arizona (4-8)

16. Oklahoma State (3-9)

The Cyclones showed their resilience, recovering from a two-game losing skid that could have ended the year for most teams. Instead, Matt Campbell got his team regrouped and refocused, winning the last three to secure the first-ever 10-win season in program history.

Iowa State is playing in the conference championship game for just the second time ever, as they lost to Oklahoma back in 2020. 

With a healthy mix of passing and running the football, the Cyclones are equipped to handle any weather or defense. Speaking of that, Iowa State has a defensive of its own that buckles down inside the red zone.

It is honestly hard to not make a case for the Buffaloes and Deion Sanders as not only the best team in the Big 12, but the best option to compete in the College Football Playoff.

Led by likely Heisman winner Travis Hunter, Colorado is explosive on offense with Shedeur Sanders firing the pigskin all over the field. The defense, though, has been the issue for the Buffaloes, which is surprising considering who their head coach is.

If you were to match Colorado up against Iowa State, Arizona State or BYU on any given week, the odds would likely favor the Buffaloes. But they were unable to get the job done when they needed to the most, and will watch from their homes this weekend.

* Keys to victory for Iowa State vs. Arizona State

* Iowa State climbs the latest Coaches Poll Top 25

* Rocco Becht credits 2023 loss with driving Iowa State

* How to watch Iowa State vs. Arizona State for Big 12 title