Worker found dead in kettle cooker at South Jersey food processing plant

The accident happened Monday morning at the Lassonde Pappas and Company facility in Upper Deerfield

Dale Devilli, 63, of Millville, died in an accident at the Lassonde Pappas and Company plant in Upper Deerfield, New Jersey on Sept. 19, 2022.
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice

A worker at a food processing plant in Cumberland County was found dead Monday morning inside a kettle cooker machine at the facility in Upper Deerfield, authorities said Wednesday.

New Jersey State Police responded to the Lassonde Pappas and Company plant on Parsonage Road around 8 a.m. for a report of an unconscious man inside the kettle cooker. 

Dale Devilli, 63, of Millville, was removed from the machine and later pronounced dead.

State police do not suspect foul play was involved.

In a statement provided to NJ 101.5, Lassonde spokesperson Alexander Robertson described Devilli's death as an accident that caused a fatal injury, but did not provide further details.

"We are devastated by the loss of our friend and colleague and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time," Robertson said.

Lassonde, a Canadian company with a large presence in North America, produces ready-to-drink fruit and vegetable juices, along with other food products, including sauces and soups.

The Occupational Health & Safety Administration is investigating the accident at the company's South Jersey plant, according to a federal database.

Services for Devilli will be held next Monday at the Freitag Funeral Home in Bridgeton.