Another death reported in Listeria outbreak traced to Boar’s Head deli meats

A 10th death has been reported in an outbreak of Listeria infections traced to Boar’s Head deli meats. The outbreak has sickened 59 people in 19 states. All of the patients have required hospitalization. 

The company recalled more than 7 million pounds of its products in July. Testing has shown that Boar’s Head deli meat was contaminated with the same strain of Listeria monocytogenes that has sickened people.

The company has closed its Jarratt, VA, production plant that manufactured the implicated products and has permanently discontinued production of liverwurst nationwide.

Inspection reports dating back to at least 2022 showed multiple problems in the Virginia plant, but the USDA did not shut it down. Inspectors from the USDA listed serious problems in 2022 that could have resulted in strict measures like a pause in production. But the plant continued operating, and some conditions persisted. Inspectors warned that conditions at the Boar’s Head plant posed an “imminent threat” to public health, citing extensive rust, deli meats exposed to wet ceilings, green mold and holes in the walls.

Here are the 2022 – 2024 Inspections:

Since the announcement of the closing of the plant, Terrence Boyce, who has nearly two decades of experience as a supervisor at food plants and was hired in 2023 for a newly created position at the Jarratt, VA., plant amid a food safety audit by federal regulators, has spoken out about problems at the plant.

Boyce said he repeatedly told superiors about food safety problems but no action was taken.

“The government found a bunch of deficiencies or deviations and I guess I was brought in as a preventive and a corrective measure,” Boyce said. 

But when the sanitation veteran began to speak up and recommend certain changes, he lost his job, he has told numerous media outlets. Among the problems Boyce flagged during his eight-month stint at the bug-infested plant was that the water used to clean the facility wasn’t hot enough to break up grease from animal fat. He also questioned other sanitation practices.

“The process for cleaning the smokehouses was a major problem,” he told local media. They used a powder solution instead of spraying them down. They took shortcuts.”

The company issued a statement and apology on Sept. 13.

“First and foremost, our investigation has identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst. With this discovery, we have decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst,” the Boar’s Head statement says.

“In response to the inspection records and noncompliance reports at the Jarratt plant, we will not make excuses. In the spirit of complete transparency, we are sharing with you the July 31, 2024, USDA Notice of Suspension received by our Jarratt facility here.”

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalled Boar’s Head products and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. 

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

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