Monday, 21 April 2025

Plant Linked To Listeria Outbreak To “Indefinitely Close”

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Boar’s Head announced it will shut down a Virginia deli meat plant linked to a multi-state listeria outbreak.

The company will also permanently discontinue its liverwurst product.

“We regret and deeply apologize for the recent Listeria monocytogenes contamination in our liverwurst product. We understand the gravity of this situation and the profound impact it has had on affected families. Comprehensive measures are being implemented to prevent such an incident from ever happening again,” Boar’s Head said in a statement.

“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,” it continued.

“Given the seriousness of the outbreak, and the fact that it originated at Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely close this location, which has not been operational since late July 2024. It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers. But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course. We will work to assist each of our employees in the transition process,” it added.

Per NBC News:

This year’s listeria outbreak killed nine and hospitalized 57. Boar’s Head recalled its Strassburger Brand Liverwurst on July 25 over concerns it contained the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.

The CDC said the company was responsible for the largest listeriosis outbreak since 2011, when more than 30 people died from affected cantaloupe.

The recall was expanded to include 7 million pounds of meat, which the company said was every item produced at the facility.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 31 gave the Jarratt facility a notice of suspension.

“Documents obtained by @CBSNews reveal that federal inspectors flagged numerous violations at the Virginia Boar’s Head facility linked to the deadly recall of deli meats. The outbreak has led to at least nine deaths and sickened dozens,” CBS Evening News said last month.

From The Hill:

USDA released noncompliance reports from the Jarratt facility that dated back two years and showed the plant posed an “imminent threat.” Records show there was rusted equipment, green mold on walls, live beetles in hallways, dirt, screws and trash in production areas, among other violations.

Boar’s Head acknowledged the violations in its release and said “we will not make any excuses.” The investigations have “left no stone unturned at Jarratt,” the company said.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said it had been investigating the listeria outbreak and conditions at its establishments nationwide. The agency said it was looking to see if there were any lessons learned that could be broadly applied to ready-to-eat meat and poultry facilities across the country.

Boar’s Head said it will immediately implement several quality measures to prevent future incidents. The company said it will appoint a new chief food safety and quality assurance officer, creating food safety and quality assurance programs, and establish a Boar’s Head Food Safety Council comprised of independent industry safety experts.

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