Boar’s Head to close Virginia plant linked to deadly listeria outbreak

() – Boar’s Head will close the Virginia plant that produced deli meat linked to a deadly listeria outbreak, the company said Friday.

The move is part of a number of changes made following what it called a “dark moment in our company’s history.” Boar’s Head said it will permanently discontinue sales of leberwurst after an investigation found its production process was the primary cause of the listeria contamination. It will also implement a companywide food safety program, appoint a new food safety officer and form a food safety council made up of independent industry experts, including former officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to our customers and to the safety and quality of our products,” the company said in a letter to consumers. “We are determined to learn from this experience and emerge stronger,” it added.

The Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia, has not been operational since July, when the leberwurst recall was first announced and later expanded to include all products manufactured at the plant.

Reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA) for the facility have spoken of insects, mold, “blood in puddles on the floor” and a “stale odor in the cooler” at various times since 2022. Another 2022 report cited “significant deficiencies” in the plant’s structural conditions — rusty equipment, peeling paint, loose caulk, holes in walls, product residue on surfaces and dripping condensation — all of which posed an “imminent threat.” The reports said plant management was notified and ordered to take corrective action.

But a USDA suspension notice for the Virginia facility shared by Boar’s Head on Friday describes “inadequate” controls and sanitation that allowed equipment and employees to move throughout the facility, potentially spreading bacteria.

“Given the severity 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 said in the letter. “It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hardworking employees. We do not take our responsibility as one of the largest employers in the area lightly. But, under these circumstances, we feel that closing the plant is the most prudent course.”

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said this week that its investigation would include a “holistic look at Boar’s Head establishments nationwide” and consideration of lessons that could be “applied more broadly to ready-to-eat meat and poultry facilities.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 57 people have been hospitalized in 18 states in connection with the Boar’s Head listeria outbreak, and nine people have died. The agency called it the largest listeria outbreak since one linked to cantaloupes in 2011.

The actual number of illnesses is likely higher than reported because some people may have experienced milder symptoms and were not tested, the CDC said. The agency continues to advise consumers to check their kitchens for recalled products, which have “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the labels and have sell-by dates through October 2024.

Listeria bacteria cause listeriosis, the third leading cause of foodborne illness deaths in the United States. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, and fatigue. An infection can also cause a stiff neck, headache, confusion, or seizures.