Boar's Head plant linked to deadly outbreak broke food safety rules dozens of times, records show
Records show that a Boar's Head deli meat plant in Virginia tied to a deadly food poisoning outbreak repeatedly violated federal regulations. Inspectors found meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. They also found mold, insects and liquid dripping from ceilings. The plant in Jarratt, south of Richmond, has been tied to at least nine deaths and about 50 hospitalizations caused by listeria infections linked to tainted Boar's Head products. Food safety experts say the conditions described in the inspection reports could allow listeria to thrive. Boar's Head officials did not respond to AP'S requests for comment.
A Boar's Head deli meat plant in Virginia tied to a deadly food poisoning outbreak repeatedly violated federal regulations, including instances of mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment, newly released records show.
Government inspectors logged 69 instances of "noncompliance" with federal rules in the past year, including several in recent weeks, according to documents released through federal Freedom of Information Act requests.
Inspections at the plant have been suspended and it will remain closed "until the establishment is able to demonstrate it can produce safe product," U.S. Agriculture Department officials said in a statement Thursday. Boar's Head officials halted production at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant in late July.
The plant has been linked to the deaths of at least nine people and hospitalizations of about 50 others in 18 states. All were sickened with listeria after eating Boar's Head Provisions Co. Inc. deli meats. The company recalled more than 7 million pounds of products last month after tests confirmed that listeria bacteria in Boar's Head products were making people sick.
Between Aug. 1, 2023, and Aug. 2, 2024, inspectors found "heavy discolored meat buildup" and "meat overspray on walls and large pieces of meat on the floor." They also documented flies "going in and out" of pickle vats and "black patches of mold" on a ceiling. One inspector detailed blood puddled on the floor and "a rancid smell in the cooler." Plant staff were repeatedly notified that they had failed to meet requirements, the documents showed.
"I think it is disgusting and shameful," said Garshon Morgenstein, whose 88-year-old father, Gunter, died July 18 from a listeria infection traced to Boar's Head liverwurst. "I'm just even more in shock that this was allowed to happen."
The plant was inspected by Virginia officials through a partnership with the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service. When problems were found, Boar's Head took "corrective actions in keeping with FSIS regulations," officials said. Federal reports show no enforcement actions against Boar's Head between January and March, the latest records available.
The documents, first reported by CBS News, didn't contain any test results that confirmed listeria in the factory.
The bacteria thrive on floors, walls and drains, in cracks and crevices and hard-to-clean parts of food processing equipment. Pests such as flies can easily spread the bacteria through a plant and the germ can survive in biofilms — thin, slimy collections of bacteria that are difficult to eradicate.
Officials with Boar's Head did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, but a spokesperson told CBS that the company regrets the impact of the recall and prioritizes food safety. On its website, the company said all the issues raised by government inspectors were addressed immediately.