Boar’s Head listeria outbreak: Bugs, mold, mildew found at plant

JARRATT, Va. — The plant that produced the deli meat at the center of a deadly listeria outbreak had several concerning issues that were uncovered during federal inspections.

Inspectors said they found black mold, flies and bits of meat left on food-contact surfaces at the Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia. Inspectors said they had found 84 issues at the plant from June 2023 through August. One issue that was not on the list was listeria, a bacteria that forced the recall of 3,500 tons of meat, The New York Times reported.

The listeria outbreak has killed nine people so far and sickened 57 in 18 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Government inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture also said there was a “rancid smell” at the plant along with mildew, The Washington Post reported.

CBS News was the first to report the citations. The news organization received the records through a Freedom of Information Act request.

CBS News said that the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is responsible for overseeing the plant’s day-to-day operations, staff from the Commonwealth of Virginia, however, was responsible for administrating the inspections, in a cooperative inspection program.

Boar’s Head on July 29 recalled everything that had been produced at the Jarratt plant, encompassing more than 70 items including ham, hot dogs, bologna and bacon weighing at least 7 million pounds. the Post reported.

It is the largest recall due to listeria since a 2011 recall of cantaloupe the CDC said.

The plant will remain closed “until the establishment is able to demonstrate it can produce a safe product.”

Boar’s Head said it is investigating how liverwurst which had tested positive for listeria was made at the plant, adding that staff “immediately remediated” the noncompliance inspectors had issued, the Post reported. There were no “enforcement actions” taken against the company in the past year, CBS News reported.

“We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families. No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for those who have suffered losses or endured illness,” Boar’s Head said in a statement.

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