The blaze broke out around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday and eventually went to three alarms. It burned for at least six hours later.
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Video from NewsCopter 7 showed heavy smoke and flames shooting through the roof of the facility before dawn.
The one-story building near the intersection of East Elizabeth and North Park avenues houses World Class Kitchens, a food preparation company.
Fire officials say the blaze started in a kitchen area. Six workers were in the area of the building at the time the fire broke out.
One of them tried to douse the flames before firefighters arrived and might have suffered smoke inhalation.
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A spokesperson said the fire broke out at a commissary owned by Saker ShopRites.
"We are thankful that all associates working the overnight shift were safely evacuated from the building, and we are grateful to the Linden Fire Department, local fire departments and emergency responders who worked through the early morning hours to fight the blaze," the company said in a statement. "This facility was used to prepare meat and deli products for Saker ShopRites, which owns 39 ShopRite stores in New Jersey."
They said they are confident they will be able to supply those stores using other Wakefern facilities.
Parts of Park Ave., Linden Ave., and Elizabeth Ave., along with other surrounding streets, were closed due in part to icing from the fire department activity.
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