Boars Head has stated:
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.
Since we implemented our voluntary recall on July 25, 2024, we have been conducting an exhaustive investigation into how our liverwurst product became adulterated. We recognize you want and deserve answers, and that you wanted them quickly, but we needed to take the necessary time to conduct an in-depth review and analysis of all our processes and procedures – not just at our Jarratt, Virginia plant where our liverwurst was made, but at all of our Boar’s Head Provisions meat production facilities.
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.
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.
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.
This 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.
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According to the US CDC more illnesses and deaths have been reported in this outbreak. The CDC says listeria is a hardy germ that can remain on surfaces, like meat slicers, and foods, even at refrigerated temperatures. It can also take up to 10 weeks for some people to have symptoms of listeriosis.
Do not eat recalled deli meats. Some of the products have sell by dates into October 2024.
The CDC states that epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that meats sliced at deli counters, including Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, are contaminated with Listeria and are making people sick.
Since the last update on August 8, 14 more illnesses and six more deaths have been reported. As of August 27, a total of 57 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from 18 states. Sick people’s samples were collected from May 29, 2024 to August 16, 2024. Of 57 people with information available, all 57 have been hospitalized. One person got sick during their pregnancy and remained pregnant after recovering. Nine deaths have been reported, including one in Illinois, one in New Jersey, one in Virginia, and as of this update one in Florida, one in Tennessee, one in New Mexico, one in New York, and two in South Carolina.
The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
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