The applicants were seeking entry-level production jobs at its Springdale facility.

The complaint was filed with the department's Office of Administrative Law Judges after OFCCP was unable to secure a fair resolution from Cargill Meat Solutions to pay back wages and interest to the rejected job applicants and extend job offers to at least 167 of the affected workers.

The OFCCP is seeking cancellation of Cargill Meat Solutions' existing government contracts and debarment from entering into future contracts until the company resolves all violations and corrects its discriminatory employment practices.

"This is an unfortunate case in which thousands of qualified workers were denied the opportunity to compete fairly for jobs in a tough economy," said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu.

"Cargill has discriminated against vulnerable workers. OFCCP is prepared to use every tool at our disposal, including canceling a company's federal contracts when necessary, to achieve the goal of equal opportunity for workers."

The OFCCP discovered the company's discriminatory practices during a scheduled review to determine its compliance with Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of race, national origin or sex when making hiring decisions.

The investigation found that the company's selection criteria were subjectively and inconsistently applied. As a result, women were less likely to be employed in entry-level production jobs, and Asian and Pacific Islander job seekers were unfairly favoured over other racial groups.

Cargill Meat Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Cargill Inc., currently holds contracts in excess of $550 million with the US Department of Defense.

The Springdale facility processes turkeys for sale under the brand names Honeysuckle White and Riverside.