Boar’s Head announced Friday it has indefinitely shut down a Virginia deli meat plant and discontinuing the liverwurst that is linked to a deadly multi-state listeria outbreak that also sickened dozens.
In what it called a “dark moment” in the company’s history, Boar’s Head said in a Friday statement it’s indefinitely closing its plant in Jarratt, Virginia, where the liverwurst product connected to the outbreak was made.
The cause of the contamination was a “specific production process” that only existed at the Jarratt facility, the company said.
“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,” the statement said.
“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,” the company said.
“We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers,” the statement continues. “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 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.
According to records from the USDA, the Virginia plant had dozens of violations that included reports of inspectors finding insects, mold and puddles of blood.
Department personnel logged 69 instances of noncompliance with federal regulations at the plant from Aug. 1, 2023, through Aug. 2, 2024, according to documents CBS News obtained through federal Freedom of Information Act requests.
According to the documents, the Agriculture Department reported “heavy discolored meat build up” on a hydraulic pump in the plant and on the motor of an inspection line on Aug. 8, 2023, and again reported “heavy meat buildup” on walls of a room in the plant on June 10.
The presence of insects was also an issue at the plant, according to department.
Flies were found “going in and out” of pickle vats on June 10, and “small flying gnat like insects were observed crawling on the walls and flying around the room.” The department also reported a “steady line of ants” and “a presence of flying insects” in the same room, according to the documents. Also reported on the same day were “7 ladybugs, 1 beetle like insect, and 1 cockroach like insect.”
Boar’s Head said since its voluntary recall in late July, it has worked with the USDA and state government regulatory agencies and leading food safety experts to learn what went wrong and make improvements.
Some increased measures, according to Boar’s Head, include: Appointing a new chief food safety officer who will report directly to the company’s president; launching a food safety council comprised of independent food safety experts; and creating an enhanced and companywide food safety and QA program, Boar’s Head said.
Gallup recently found that Americans’ faith in the government’s ability to provide safe food in its food supply has reached a record low since 1999.
