Inspectors with the Department of Agriculture found insects, mold and mildew at a Boar’s Head plant linked to a multistate listeria outbreak and the nationwide recall of potentially contaminated deli meats.
Inspectors found insects – alive and dead – black and green mold, as well as mildew, within the plant in the weeks before Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc, issued a July 26 recall of more than 200,000 pounds of liverwurst due to potential listeria contamination.
Subsequently, Boar’s Head expanded the recall to include every product made at the facility, amounting to about 7.2 million pounds of deli meats.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigation found that meats sliced at deli counters, including Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, were contaminated with listeria and made people sick.
The human toll:His dad died from listeria tied to Boar’s Head meat.
“We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families,” Boar’s Head spokesperson Elizabeth Ward told USA TODAY in a statement.
Boar’s Head: USDA noncompliance reports Among the “noncompliances” listed in the records CBS News acquired from the USDA: July 25, 2024: A flying insect was spotted near a rack holding 980 pounds of Tavern Ham.
July 23, 2024: An inspector found what “appeared to be black mold and mildew” and rust underneath hand washing sinks.
July 17, 2024: Three dead insects found in the Cure Cooler and several more, two of which were alive, in the facility.
Boar’s Head is working to disinfect the plant and provide additional training to employees there, Ward said, adding that production will not resume until it meets “the highest quality and safety standards.”
At a Boar’s Head plant connected to a multistate listeria outbreak and the nationwide recall of potentially contaminated deli meats, Department of Agriculture inspectors discovered insects, mold, and mildew.
According to USDA records obtained by CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act request, inspectors at the Jarratt, Virginia plant filed 69 reports of “noncompliances” with the agency over the course of the previous year.
Before Boar’s Head Provisions Co., inspectors discovered dead and living insects, green and black mold, and mildew inside the plant. Over 200,000 pounds of liverwurst were recalled by, Inc. on July 26 because they may have been contaminated with listeria.
Then, Boar’s Head expanded the recall to cover all products produced there, or roughly 7 point 2 million pounds of deli meats.
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigation, listeria-contaminated meats, such as Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, were sliced at deli counters and caused illness in people.
According to the CDC’s initial report on July 19, the multistate listeriosis outbreak has led to at least 57 hospitalizations in 18 states as of August, with eight deaths. 28, according to the CDC.
Including the initial deaths in New Mexico, South Carolina (2), and Tennessee, the CDC announced on Wednesday that there have been five additional deaths linked to the outbreak.
The death toll: Listeria linked to meat from boar’s head caused his father to pass away. He had to tell his story.
Representative Elizabeth Ward for Boar’s Head said in a statement to USA TODAY, “We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families.”. “Our sympathies and the genuine hurt we feel for those who have lost loved ones or faced illness are beyond words. “. .
USDA noncompliance reports are kept in Boar’s Head.
The following are a few of the “noncompliances” noted in the documents CBS News obtained from the USDA.
A flying bug was observed on July 25, 2024, close to a rack containing 980 pounds of tavern ham.
July 23, 2024: Underneath hand washing sinks, an inspector discovered rust and what “looked to be black mold and mildew.”.
July 17, 2024: Several insects—two of which were alive—were discovered inside the facility, along with three dead ones in the Cure Cooler.
“On the raw side” of the plant, on June 10, 2024, about 15 to 20 flies were seen coming and going from the four vats of pickle that were left in the room.”. In other areas of the plant, there were also seven ladybugs, one beetle-like insect, one cockroach-like insect, “a steady line of ants… traveling down the wall floor junction on the right side of the room,” and “small flying gnat like insects were observed crawling on the walls and flying around the room.”.
The Raw Receiving cooler had “ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor” on February 21, 2024. Moreover, the cooler had a rancid odor. ****.
Boar’s Head places food safety as its “absolute priority,” according to Ward’s statement.
“The agency has inspectors in our Jarratt, Virginia plant every day as a USDA-inspected food producer, and if at any point inspectors identify something that needs to be addressed, our team does so immediately, as was the case with every single issue raised by USDA in this report,” the spokesperson stated.
Ward stated that Boar’s Head is striving to sanitize the facility and give staff members more training, and that production won’t start again until it satisfies “the highest quality and safety standards.”. “.”.
Holdridge, Mary Walrath, contributed.
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