A deadly listeria outbreak that hospitalized at least 57 and killed nine across 18 states has been tied to the Boar’s Head Provisions plant in Jarrett, Virginia. The plant has not been operational since late July, and the company recalled 7.2 million pounds of deli meat products after listeria was detected in liverwurst produced at the facility. The liverwurst products were produced between June 11 and July 17, 2024 and distributed to retail deli locations nationwide, labeled with “EST. 12612.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first announced the listeria monocytogenes outbreak in late July, the largest listeriosis outbreak since 2011. This bacterium spreads through water, mist, clothing, skin, and improperly sanitized equipment.
Boar’s Head also recalled additional deli meat products produced on the same dates and in the same line as the liverwurst. The company stated that liverwurst products will no longer be made at any facility after an internal investigation revealed that the process used to make liverwurst was the source of the contamination.
The plant’s closure is only one step in an ongoing saga that now includes a multi-agency investigation, multiple lawsuits, and hopes for a congressional investigation. Public health officials in several states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are working with the CDC to track and collect data and samples of Listeria oncogenes infections, known as listeriosis.
Inspectors have identified dozens of violations at the plant, including meat and fat residue on equipment and walls, insects, black mold and mildew buildup, liquid dripping from ceilings, rancid odors in the freezers, and meat and puddles of blood on the floor. According to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, roughly 500 union workers are impacted by the Boar’s Head’s decision to close the plant.
A listeria outbreak in turkey deli meat was linked to eight deaths and three “fetal deaths” in 2002, according to the National Library of Medicine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a zero-tolerance policy for listeria in ready-to-eat meats and considers any amount of contamination unsafe for consumption. Boar’s Head Provisions also produces cheese, hummus, condiments, and meat products.
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