Boar’s Head to Reopen Plant Connected to Listeria Outbreak
Boar’s Head will reopen the Virginia deli meat plant it closed last year after a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak sickened dozens and killed 10 others, the Associated Press reports.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture told the AP the facility in Jarratt, Va., will resume operations in the following months but it will be subject to “heightened monitoring and inspections by federal Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) officials” for 90 days.
The outbreak, which was tied to liverwurst produced at the facility, sickened 61 people across 19 states. Boar’s Head recalled 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry produced at the plant between May 10 and July 29.
Boar’s Head closed the Jarratt facility on Sept. 13, 2024, but its suspension was lifted in July, the AP reports.
Earlier this year, the FSIS issued a report noting instances of noncompliance with sanitation standards, including meat and fat residue on equipment, condensation in the RTE processing area, and structural issues such as cracks, holes and broken flooring that could hold moisture.
The facility was previously inspected by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under a Talmadge-Aiken (TA) cooperative agreement. The TA program allows state health officials to inspect meat and poultry facilities with federal grants of inspection on behalf of FSIS.
Late last year, Boar’s Head launched a webpage highlighting its recent food safety efforts, including the formation of a Food Safety Advisory Council chaired by Frank Yiannas.
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