Boar’s Head Identifies Root Cause of Deadly Listeria Outbreak, Permanently Discontinues Liverwurst
Boar’s Head has officially discontinued its liverwurst product and closed the Jarratt, Virginia plant where it was produced, following a listeria outbreak linked to the deli meat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the outbreak resulted in at least nine deaths and 57 illnesses across 18 states. Boar’s Head pointed to specific production processes utilized at the Jarratt facility as the source of the contamination, leading to its decision to permanently eliminate liverwurst from its product line. The company has been facing multiple lawsuits due to the issue, and USDA inspections of the facility revealed significant sanitation failures, including mold, pests, and unclean conditions. Boar’s Head expressed regret over the listeria contamination and has provided a full list of recalled products.
Boar’s Head announced Friday that liverwurst and the plant that made it are gone forever.
The company has been battling a recall linked to an outbreak of listeria.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak led to at least nine known deaths and 57 cases across 18 states.
The CDC traces the outbreak to liverwurst, which was made at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant operated by Boar’s Head.
Boar’s Head reported Friday that “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,” the company wrote.
“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,” the company added.
As reported by USA Today, the company is facing multiple lawsuits over the contamination of liverwurst.
The USDA has excoriated conditions at the plant where the contaminated food was made.
In one instance, the USDA wrote that “clear liquid was observed falling from a square patch in the ceiling. Ten feet from the patches, a black fan was mounted to the ceiling and was blowing the leaking clear liquid into the Blast Cell Hallway, where 9 trees of uncovered Assorted Hams were stored. These 9 trees were retained by inspection personnel. This indicates your establishment’s failure to maintain sanitary conditions.”
When USDA today reviewed multiple inspections, it reported that the inspections included “reports of insects live and dead black and green mold, as well as mildew, dripping and standing water.”
Reports that went back to January 2022 reported, “sludge,” “black smudges,” “slimy” materials on machines and “putrid,” “off” odors, and “thick and flaking rust” in several places.
According to CBS, an inspection reported that “A black mold like substance was seen throughout the room at the wall/concrete junction.”
Inspectors noted a puddle had “a green algal growth” within it and also cited condensation “dripping over product being held.”
In February, an inspector reported “ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor” were found and that a “rancid smell” permeated a cooler at the plant.
In announcing the end of liverwurst and the plant that made it, Boar’s Head wrote, “We regret and deeply apologize for the recent Listeria monocytogenes contamination in our liverwurst product.”
Boar’s Head has posted a full list of all the products recalled.
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