Boar’s Head facility that had mold, mildew and bugs linked to listeria outbreak, records show Boar’s Head Provisions will no longer make liverwurst and is closing the Virginia facility at the center of a listeria outbreak that killed nine people and hospitalized at least 57 in 18 states, the producer of deli meats announced on Friday. “We understand the gravity of this situation and the profound impact it has had on affected families. Comprehensive measures are being implemented to prevent such an incident from ever happening again,” the company said in a statement posted on its website. The plant in Jarratt, Virginia, has not been operational since late July, when the company recalled millions of pounds of deli meat products after listeria was detected in liverwurst produced at the facility.
The inspection revealed a series of serious issues, including inadequate sanitation, improper food handling practices, and a lack of proper temperature control. These violations were found in multiple areas of the plant, including the processing, packaging, and storage areas. The outbreak, which has already claimed the lives of 10 people and sickened over 100 others, is linked to the consumption of contaminated cantaloupe.
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can spread through water, mist, on workers clothes and hands and improperly sanitized equipment. In 2002, a listeria outbreak in turkey deli meat was linked to eight deaths and three “fetal deaths” among pregnant women, according to an account published by the National Library of Medicine. The USDA has a zero-tolerance policy for listeria in ready-to-eat meats, meaning any amount of contamination makes the product unsafe for consumption. In addition to meats, the privately held Boar’s Head brand, started in 1905, includes cheeses, hummus and condiments.
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