Topline
The Boar’s Head plant in Virginia linked to the largest listeria outbreak in more than a decade will close indefinitely, the company said Friday, after inspections at the facility revealed black mold, mildew, bugs and unsanitary conditions that could be blamed for the dozens of hospitalizations and nine deaths linked to the outbreak.
Boar’s Head deli meats on display in Georgia.
Key Facts
A listeria outbreak in deli meats was first reported in July and, as of Friday, has been linked to 57 hospitalizations across 18 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including nine deaths across South Carolina, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico and New York.
Boar’s Head on Friday also said it would permanently discontinue liverwurst, the product in which the initial listeria bacteria was found.
The company said its internal investigation “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.”
The closure of the plant will impact at least 500 employees, and a union representative told The New York Times the company is providing severance packages and relocation options.
The announcement comes after records from U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors’ visit to the Boar’s Head plant in Virginia were published and found that multiple products distributed across states from that factory were tested and found to be contaminated with listeria, and also revealed dozens of health and safety violations at the location.
Boar’s Head said in its Friday announcement that the listeria outbreak “is a dark moment in our company’s history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry.”
In early August, Boar’s Head recalled 7 million pounds of deli meats—in addition to an initial 200,000-pound recall—and added 71 products made over the course of six weeks to its list, including pre-packaged meat and poultry products for the first time.
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What Is Listeria?
Listeria is a foodborne illness most often contracted by eating improperly processed deli meats (listeria spreads easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food, the CDC says) and unpasteurized milk products, and the hearty bacteria can survive refrigeration and even freezing. Most healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but it does disproportionately impact people older than 65, newborns and pregnant women, who may themselves experience only mild symptoms, but babies in utero can die from Listeria.
Where Have People Gotten Sick From Listeria In Deli Meat?
The 18 states where cases have been recorded, according to the CDC, include: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. New York and Maryland have reported the most cases, with 17 and eight, respectively.
What Deli Meats Have Been Recalled For Listeria?
Boar’s Head Provisions Co. recalled liverwurst after a sample of the product in a Maryland store tested positive for listeria, and the company has also recalled meats sliced on the same day on the same line as the liverwurst at a Virginia plant. Those include Virginia old fashioned ham, Italian Cappy style ham, extra hot Italian Cappy style ham, bologna, beef salami, steakhouse roasted bacon ham and garlic bologna with an Aug. 10 sell-by date. Boar’s Head second recall, announced last week, includes 71 different products made between May 10 and July 29. More specifics can be found on the USDA website. The outbreak has been linked to meat sliced at deli counters, not prepackaged meats.
How Does Listeria Spread Among Deli Meats?
The listeria bacteria can be found in soil, water, animal feces and raw materials. The CDC says cold cuts, cheeses and other deli products are at particular risk of listeria because of how easy it is for the bacteria to spread among deli equipment and surfaces. While meats are kept refrigerated, refrigeration does not kill listeria, and it can be a tough bacteria to eliminate. When meats are prepared at a facility where listeria persists, the bacteria can spread on surfaces, hands and through the food itself. One person died and 16 were sickened due to a listeria outbreak among deli meats and cheeses in six states in 2022, and a similar outbreak killed one and sickened another 12 in four states in 2020.
What Stores Have Recalled Produce For Listeria, And In What States?
Walmart has recalled bagged and bulk produce in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Aldi locations in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have done the same. Other stores, including Save-a-Lot, Kroger, Shop ‘n Save, have also recalled products in the states listed above and Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Tennessee.
What Vegetables Have Been Recalled For Listeria?
The Department of Agriculture said in early August more than a dozen pre-packaged and bulk summer vegetables were being recalled due to possible listeria contamination, though no illnesses have been reported in association with that recall—the two do not appear to be related. Bagged poblanos, cubanelle peppers, green beans, salad cucumbers, serranos, organic bell peppers, cucumbers, yellow squash and zucchini from the Wiers Farm have been recalled, as have bagged green beans and jalapenos from Freshire Farms. Bulk Anaheim peppers, clinanto, cubanelle peppers, cucumbers, green beans, green bell peppers, habanero peppers, hungarian wax peppers, jalapeno peppers, mustard greens, pickling cucumbers, parsley, poblanos, serranos and tomatillos have also been recalled, though no specific brand names were mentioned. The barcodes for each recalled product can be found on the FDA’s website.
Surprising Fact
A Missouri couple has sued Boar’s Head and Schnucks Markets after they purchased contaminated liverwurst in June. Sue Fleming, 88, became “deathly ill” and was hospitalized with a listeria infection, according to her lawyer. She did recover from the illness after a long stay in a hospital, followed by a stay at a rehabilitation facility. The couple is now suing for $25,000 in damages and claims the illness caused “loss of enjoyment of life” and “damage to the marital relationship.”
