Boar’s Head Shuts Down Virginia Meat Plant After 9 Deaths Linked to Listeria

Boar’s Head is permanently closing its deli nutrient works successful Jarratt, Virginia, aft a listeria outbreak that’s killed 9 radical truthful acold and sickened dozens of others successful 18 states, according to a Friday press release from the company. Liverwurst produced astatine the works has been identified arsenic the origin of the deaths and Boar’s Head says it volition halt producing the merchandise wholly astatine each of its facilities.

While 9 deaths person been reported since Boar’s Head recalled its liverwurst connected July 25, determination is inactive superior interest astir the anticipation of much hospitalizations and deaths, according to the CDC. The wellness bureau warns that listeria is simply a “hardy germ” that tin stay connected surfaces for extended periods of clip and it tin instrumentality up to 10 weeks for immoderate radical to adjacent make symptoms.

Importantly, immoderate of the products that person been recalled person sell-by dates into October 2024 and there’s existent interest that immoderate of this nutrient is inactive sitting successful the refrigerators of consumers astir the country.

The New York Times published a damning portion earlier this week astir wellness inspection failures astatine the nutrient works successful Jarrat, including the reflection of extended rust, meats that were exposed to bedewed ceilings, and the beingness of greenish mold. Garbage and insects were besides noted connected the floors. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture reportedly failed to institute strict wellness measures contempt the findings.

Roughly 400 workers volition beryllium impacted by the Virginia works closing, according to the New York Times. Boar’s Head is reportedly providing severance packages and relocation to employees but details astir those plans haven’t been released. There are besides Boar’s Head plants successful Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, and New York.

“It pains america to interaction the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We bash not instrumentality lightly our work arsenic 1 of the area’s largest employers,” Boar’s Head said successful a connection published online. “But, nether these circumstances, we consciousness that a works closure is the astir prudent course. We volition enactment to assistance each of our employees successful the modulation process.”

The CDC has been posting updates since the callback began successful precocious July, but hasn’t updated its website astir the listeria outbreak since August 28. All of the 9 listeria deaths tied to the Boar’s Head products person been successful consumers aged 70 oregon older and see radical successful Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, New York, and South Carolina.

Boar’s Head said the institution is appointing a caller Chief Food Safety & Quality Assurance Officer who volition study straight to the president. It’s besides creating a caller “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council” that volition beryllium “comprised of autarkic industry-leading nutrient information experts,” according to a property release.

“This is simply a acheronian infinitesimal successful our company’s history, but we mean to usage this arsenic an accidental to heighten nutrient information programs not conscionable for our company, but for the full industry,” the institution said.