“A listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats has become the largest in the U.S. since 2011, with nine deaths and 57 hospitalizations across 18 states. The outbreak was traced to the company’s Jarratt, Virginia plant, leading to a recall of all deli meats produced there, including liverwurst, hams, sausages, and meatloaves. The plant, which had numerous violations including mold, mildew, and insect contamination, has ceased operations for disinfection. The CDC warns that some affected products have sell-by dates extending to October 2024“.
Table of Contents
In short:
Major Listeria Outbreak
A listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats has become America’s largest since 2011, with nine deaths and 57 hospitalizations, according to the CDC.
Product Recall
Boar’s Head recalled products from its Jarratt, Virginia plant last month, stressing that food safety was a top priority. The plant was inspected daily by the USDA.
Scope of Recall
The recall started with ready-to-eat liverwurst and now includes all deli meats from the facility, affecting 18 states.
Largest Outbreak Since 2011
The CDC labeled this the largest listeriosis outbreak since the 2011 cantaloupe-linked incident.
Violations Found
69 violations were found, including mold, mildew, green algal growth, and insects at the plant.
Facility Actions
The plant is closed for disinfection. Listeria can persist on surfaces and in refrigerated foods.
Symptoms and Warnings
Symptoms of listeria infection may appear within 10 weeks and include fever, headaches, and muscle aches. Some Boar’s Head products have sell-by dates extending to October 2024.
A listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meat products has become America’s largest since 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least nine deaths have now been tied to the outbreak, and 57 people have been hospitalized.
Last month, Boar’s Head recalled certain products made at its plant in Jarratt, Virginia. A company spokesperson told BBC’s US news partner CBS News that food safety was the “absolute priority,” and that the team at the plant immediately addressed the issues they found. Boar’s Head pointed out that it was inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with inspectors visiting the plant every day.
The recall started with ready-to-eat liverwurst products and expanded to include all deli meats including sliced hams, sausages, and meatloaves manufactured at the Virginia facility. The 57 hospitalizations linked to the outbreak have occurred in 18 states, the CDC said in a statement on Wednesday.
“This is the largest listeriosis outbreak since the 2011 outbreak linked to cantaloupe,” the CDC said in a statement on Wednesday.
Department of Agriculture officials found dozens of violations at the Boar’s Head plant in Virginia. Among the 69 violations were mold and mildew building up in the facilities at hand-washing sinks and in holding coolers between smokehouses. The records also indicated leaking and pooling water with green algal growth in one puddle, and condensation water dripping over products. There were also reports of insects flying around the meat.
The Virginia plant has ceased operations since the recall for disinfection work to take place. Listeria is a germ that can remain on surfaces like meat slicers and foods, even at refrigerated temperatures. The CDC says some infected people can take up to 10 weeks to experience symptoms, though most usually appear within two weeks of eating contaminated food. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and tiredness, as well as headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures. The CDC warns some of the Boar’s Head products have sell-by dates of October 2024.
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