listeria

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Boar’s Head will never make liverwurst again after outbreak that killed 9

boar's head, CDC, contamination, deli meat, health, listeria, liverwurst, outbreak, Science, USDA / /

Insanitary —

The Jarratt, Virginia, plant is now closed indefinitely.

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A recall notice is posted next to Boar's Head meats that are displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024, in San Rafael, California.

Enlarge / A recall notice is posted next to Boar’s Head meats that are displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024, in San Rafael, California.

The Boar’s Head deli-meat plant at the epicenter of a nationwide Listeria outbreak that killed nine people so far harbored the deadly germ in a common area of the facility deemed “low risk” for Listeria. Further, it had no written plans to prevent cross-contamination of the dangerous bacteria to other products and areas. That’s according to a federal document newly released by Boar’s Head.

On Friday, the company announced that it is indefinitely closing that Jarratt, Virginia-based plant and will never again produce liverwurst—the product that Maryland health investigators first identified as the source of the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes. The finding led to the recall of more than 7 million pounds of Boar’s Head meat. The Jarratt plant, where the company’s liverwurst is made, has been shuttered since late July amid the investigation into how the outbreak occurred.

In the September 13 update, Boar’s Head explained that:

[O]ur 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.

While the statement seems to offer some closure on the outbreak’s source, previously released inspection reports described a facility riddled with sanitation failures. Between August 1, 2023, and August 2, 2024, the facility was cited for 69 violations, which included water leaks, mold in numerous places, algal growth, “meat buildup” caking equipment, and walls that were also crawling with flies and gnats, sightings of other insects, rancid smells, trash and debris on the floors, and even “ample amounts of blood in puddles.”

The New York Times also reported that a 2022 inspection found that the plant posed an “imminent threat” to public health and that inspectors cited “extensive rust, deli meats exposed to wet ceilings, green mold and holes in the walls.”

Cross-contamination

The document newly released by Boar’s Head is a letter dated July 31 from the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service notifying the company that the Jarratt facility was suspended. The basis of the suspension was an inspection finding from July 24 and 25 of L. monocytogenes contaminating a pallet jack in a large room where ready-to-eat meats were processed. The room was a common area not specific to liverwurst processing and was deemed by Boar’s Head to be “low risk” for Listeria.

Meats from eight processing lines were in the room, with lines 1 through 4 on the left side and 5 through 8 on the right, handling hot dogs and other small sausages. The contaminated pallet jack was designated for production line 2, which was handling Beechwood Hams, and was used to move racks of hams from blast coolers to production lines in the processing room.

However, inspectors noted that the pallet jacks and product racks in the room weren’t kept to designated production lines, and instead, employees moved them between all of the lines and all of the blast coolers, enabling cross-contamination. And, while the equipment was moved around, people did, too. Although employees typically stuck to one production line, they would sometimes move between lines, and there were no procedures for employees to change personal protective equipment (PPE)—gloves, disposable aprons, and arm covers—when they switched. Inspectors saw them switching without changing their PPE.

“They also observed employees who freely move between all lines without directly interacting with product such as those removing garbage, removing product debris from the floors, removing condensation from overhead structures, or performing maintenance,” the USDA officials wrote.

Outbreak spread

Given that this was in a room full of meats that were supposedly ready to eat, the USDA concluded that Boar’s Head “failed to maintain sanitary conditions” and that its Listeria control program was “ineffective.”

To date, 57 people from 18 states have been sickened. All 57 were hospitalized, and nine people died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that health officials have interviewed 44 people sickened during the outbreak, who said they ate various deli-sliced meats. Only 25 reported eating deli-sliced liverwurst.

In light of the outbreak, Boar’s Head said it is revamping its safety and quality assurances at its other facilities and hiring experienced food safety experts. “You have our promise that we will work tirelessly to regain your trust and ensure that all Boar’s Head products consistently meet the high standards that you deserve and expect. We are determined to learn from this experience and emerge stronger.”

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Blood puddles, mold, tainted meat, bugs: Boar’s Head inspections are horrifying

blood, health, inspection, listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Meat, mold, outbreak, Science, USDA / /

“ample amounts of blood” —

The USDA recorded 69 violations in a year. So far, 9 people have died in the outbreak.

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A recall notice is posted next to Boar's Head meats that are displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024, in San Rafael, California.

Enlarge / A recall notice is posted next to Boar’s Head meats that are displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024, in San Rafael, California.

Federal inspections found 69 violations—many grisly—at the Boar’s Head meat facility at the center of a deadly, nationwide Listeria outbreak that has now killed nine people, sickened and hospitalized a total of 57 across 18 states, and spurred the nationwide recall of more than 7 million pounds of meat.

The Jarratt, Virginia-based facility had repeated problems with mold, water leaks, dirty equipment and rooms, meat debris stuck on walls and equipment, various bugs, and, at one point, puddles of blood on the floor, according to inspection reports from the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Services. The reports were obtained by CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act Request. In all, the reports outline 69 violations just between the dates of August 1, 2023, and August 2, 2024.

The findings in the reports reveal the perfect conditions for the company’s meat to become contaminated with the germ behind the deadly outbreak, Listeria monocytogenes. This is a hardy germ that is ubiquitous in the environment, including in soil and water, and it spreads among people via the fecal-oral route. In healthy people, it usually only causes gastrointestinal infections. But for older people, newborns, and the immunocompromised, it can cause a life-threatening invasive infection with a fatality rate of around 17 percent. It’s also a significant danger to pregnant people, causing miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, and life-threatening infections in newborns.

While it’s always lurking, L. monocytogenes especially plagues the food industry because it has the notable ability to reproduce at refrigerator temperatures—a condition that typically limits the growth of other nasty germs.

Buildup and bugs

In the Boar’s Head facility, L. monocytogenes appeared to have various opportunities to beef up its numbers. For one, the facility had a long track record of trash and meat debris in various places, which was sometimes reported alongside insect sightings. For instance, on June 10, an inspector entered the “pickle vat pump room” and noted “heavy meat buildup” on the walls, which were also crawling with flies and gnats. On the same day, an inspection of a different area found a rollup door with meat buildup on it, and a water pipe over the door leaked a steady stream of water down the wall and onto the floor. There was also a “steady line of ants” and an inventory of ladybugs, a cockroach, and a beetle of some sort.  Earlier, on March 13, an inspection of a room next to where netted hams were handled, an inspector found trash and meat protein on the floor, including “whole pork muscles.”

Going back to August 8, 2023, an inspection likewise found processing lines covered in meat particles and trash. “Heavy discolored meat buildup” was found covering a hydraulic pump, and pieces of meat and fat clung to the support braces of a catwalk. An inspection-line scale had meat pieces and trash in it—and it smelled bad. “Multiple instances of meat were found around the department on the floor. As well as standing water containing a brown mud/dirt-like substance,” the inspection read.

The facility had numerous problems with water leaks and condensation, which fits with the other numerous sightings of mold. The facility temporarily fixed water pipe leaks by wrapping the pipes in plastic. On October 26, an inspector noticed a plastic-wrapped pipe in the cure cooler. The plastic was dated August 17, and there was “orange/brown water pooled in the lowest hanging point.”

Bubbles and blood

On January 9, the inspection of a holding cooler found spots of black mold as large as a quarter throughout the room. On July 23, an inspector noticed bubbled paint on the wall around employee hand-washing sinks. The bubbles were filled with water. And under the sinks, the inspector found black mold and pink mildew.

On July 17, the inspector found “green algal growth” in a puddle of standing water in a raw holding cooler. And on July 27, an inspector noted clear liquid leaking out from a square patch on the ceiling. Behind the patch, there were two other patches that were also leaking. An employee came and wiped the liquid away with a sponge, but it returned within 10 seconds. The employee wiped it again, and the liquid again returned within 10 seconds. Meanwhile, a ceiling fan mounted close by was blowing the leaking liquid onto uncovered hams in a hallway outside the room.

To top if off, a report on February 21 found a raw cooler with “ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor” and a “rancid smell.”

According to USDA documents, the agency has not taken enforcement actions against Boar’s Head, and there is no data available on swab testing for Listeria at the Virginia facility. The plant has been shut down since late July after health investigators found the outbreak strain of L. monocytogenes in unopened containers of Boar’s Head liverwurst.

In a statement updated on August 29, Boar’s Head said, “We are conducting an extensive investigation, working closely with the USDA and government regulatory agencies, as well as with the industry’s leading food safety experts, to determine how our liverwurst produced at our Jarratt, Virginia facility was adulterated and to prevent it from happening again… We will not resume operations at this facility until we are confident that it meets USDA regulatory standards and Boar’s Head’s highest quality and safety standards.”

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Massive nationwide meat-linked outbreak kills 5 more, now largest since 2011

boar's head, CDC, deli meat, health, Infectious disease, listeria, listeriosis, Meat, outbreak, recall, Science / /

Hardy germs —

CDC implores consumers to check their fridges for the recalled meats.

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Listeria monocytogenes.

Enlarge / Listeria monocytogenes.

Five more people have died in a nationwide outbreak of Listeria infections linked to contaminated Boar’s Head brand meats, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.

To date, 57 people across 18 states have been sickened, all of whom required hospitalization. A total of eight have died. The latest tally makes this the largest listeriosis outbreak in the US since 2011, when cantaloupe processed in an unsanitary facility led to 147 Listeria infections in 28 states, causing 33 deaths, the CDC notes.

The new cases and deaths come after a massive recall of more than 7 million pounds of Boar’s Head meat products, which encompassed 71 of the company’s products. That recall was announced on July 30, which itself was an expansion of a July 26 recall of an additional 207,528 pounds of Boar’s Head products. By August 8, when the CDC last provided an update on the outbreak, the number of cases had hit 43, with 43 hospitalizations and three deaths.

In a media statement Wednesday, the CDC says the updated toll of cases and deaths is a “reminder to avoid recalled products.” The agency noted that the outbreak bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes, is a “hardy germ that can remain on surfaces, like meat slicers, and foods, even at refrigerated temperatures. It can also take up to 10 weeks for some people to have symptoms of listeriosis.” The agency recommends that people look through their fridges for any recalled Boar’s Head products, which have sell-by dates into October.

If you find any recalled meats, do not eat them, the agency warns. Throw them away or return them to the store where they were purchased for a refund. The CDC and the US Department of Agriculture also recommend that you disinfect your fridge, given the germs’ ability to linger.

L. monocytogenes is most dangerous to people who are pregnant, people age 65 years or older, and people who have weakened immune systems. In these groups, the bacteria are more likely to move beyond the gastrointestinal system to cause an invasive listeriosis infection. In older and immunocompromised people, listeriosis usually causes fever, muscle aches, and tiredness but may also cause headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures. These cases almost always require hospitalization, and 1 in 6 die. In pregnant people, listeriosis also causes fever, muscle aches, and tiredness but can also lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection in their newborns.

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7 million pounds of meat recalled amid deadly outbreak

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7 million pounds across 71 products —

Authorities worry that the contaminated meats are still sitting in people’s fridges.

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Shelves sit empty where Boar's Head meats are usually displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024, in San Anselmo, California.

Enlarge / Shelves sit empty where Boar’s Head meats are usually displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024, in San Anselmo, California.

Over 7 million pounds of Boar’s Head brand deli meats are being recalled amid a bacterial outbreak that has killed two people. The outbreak, which began in late May, has sickened a total of 34 people across 13 states, leading to 33 hospitalizations, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

On June 26, Boar’s Head recalled 207,528 pounds of products, including liverwurst, beef bologna, ham, salami, and “heat and eat” bacon. On Tuesday, the Jarratt, Virginia-based company expanded the recall to include about 7 million additional pounds of meat, including 71 different products sold on the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand labels. The products were sold nationwide.

The meats may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen that is particularly dangerous to pregnant people, people over the age of 65, and people with compromised immune systems. Infections during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection in newborns. For others who develop invasive illness, the fatality rate is nearly 16 percent. Symptoms of listeriosis can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions that are sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The problem was discovered when the Maryland Department of Health—working with the Baltimore City Health Department—collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store and found that it was positive for L. monocytogenes. In later testing, the strain in the liverwurst was linked to those isolated from people sickened in the outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six of the 34 known cases were identified in Maryland, and 12 were identified in New York. The other 11 states have only reported one or two cases each. However, the CDC expects the true number of infections to be much higher, given that many people recover without medical care and, even if people did seek care, health care providers do not routinely test for L. monocytogenes in people with mild gastrointestinal illnesses.

In the outbreak so far, there has been one case in a pregnant person, who recovered and remained pregnant. The two deaths occurred in New Jersey and Illinois.

In a statement on the company’s website, Boar’s Head said that it learned from the USDA on Monday night that L. monocytogenes strain in the liverwurst linked to the multistate outbreak. “Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to immediately and voluntarily expand our recall to include all items produced at the Jarratt facility. We have also decided to pause ready-to-eat operations at this facility until further notice. As a company that prioritizes safety and quality, we believe it is the right thing to do.”

The USDA said it is “concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators and in retail deli cases.” The USDA, the company, and CDC warn people not to eat the recalled products. Instead, they should either be thrown away or returned to the store where they were purchased for a full refund. And if you’ve purchased one of the recalled products, the USDA also advises you to thoroughly clean your fridge to prevent cross-contamination.

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