Boar’s Head plant at center of deadly listeria outbreak to close

The plant where deli meat at the center of a deadly listeria outbreak was processed will close indefinitely.

Boar’s Head Provisions announced the move on Friday. The plant, which is in Jarratt, Virginia, has been closed since late July and had been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violations for the past year, The Washington Post reported.

The company updated its website and contacted media outlets, writing, ”We regret and deeply apologize for the recent Listeria monocytogenes contamination in our liverwurst product. 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.”

Boar’s Head is also permanently discontinuing its liverwurst product.

The company also shared the Notice of Suspension for the Jarrett facility, issued by the USDA on July 31.

“Given the seriousness of the outbreak, and the fact that it originated at Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely close this location, which has not been operational since late July 2024. It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers. But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course. We will work to assist each of our employees in the transition process.”

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 Union represents union workers at the plant and said they’re working with the company and workers to make sure those impacted can land on their feet, WAVY reported.

Union officials said the workers can transfer to another plant or get a severance package “well above and beyond what is required under law.”

They are also working “with management and the state to provide job placement and other support surfaces for those who choose not to remain with the company,” according to WAVY.

The company said it will start “enhanced food safety and quality measures” which include a new Chief Food Safety & Quality Assurance Officer (CFSO), who will report to the company president; starting a “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council” which will report to the CFSP and will be made up of independent food safety experts, some of whom are already working with the company on the outbreak investigation; and finally, an “enhanced companywide food safety and QA program,” again led by the CFSO.

At least nine people died after eating the tainted meat and at least 57 people have fallen ill, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released at the end of August.

Eighteen states have had cases of listeria.

Boar’s Head ready-to-eat liverwurst products, produced between June 11 and July 17, 2024, were recalled. The liverwurst had a 44-day shelf life and sell-by dates of July 25 through Aug. 30. They were produced in Virginia and came in 3.5-pound loaves, or various weights after being sliced in delis. Some of the items had sell-by dates into October, the CDC said.

The company also recalled all of its other deli products with the same shelf life and production location. The CDC said, to “look for ‘EST. 12612′ or ‘P-12612′ inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.”

Listeria can spread on deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food and refrigeration does not kill the bacteria. High heat, however, can kill bacteria. You may have consumed the bacteria well before any symptoms appear since it can take up to 10 weeks to get sick. Typically symptoms appear in two weeks but can start as early as the same day you’re exposed, the CDC said.

Symptoms of listeria infection include high fever, muscle aches, tiredness, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or seizures. Pregnant women who get a listeria infection can have a premature birth or suffer a miscarriage. It can also cause serious illness or even death in newborns, the CDC said.

If you have the recalled deli meats, do not eat them and either throw them away or contact the store where you purchased them to inquire about returns.

You also need to clean your refrigerators, containers and surfaces that came in contact with the contaminated meats.

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