A deadly listeria outbreak in Boar's Head deli meats has prompted the company to take action at the source.
Boar's Head on Sept. 13 indefinitely closed its Virginia facility, which has been linked to a bacterial outbreak that has caused nine deaths and nearly 60 hospitalizations so far. New York TimesAdditionally, after initiating a recall in July and launching an investigation into the root causes of the outbreak, the company found that the spread was limited to liverwurst products. As a result, the company will be permanently discontinuing liverwurst.
“In response to the inspection records and reports of non-compliance at the Jarratt facility, we will not make excuses,” the company said in a statement on its website on Sept. 13. “Given the severity of the outbreak and the fact that it began in Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely close this location, which has been inactive since the end of July 2024.”
“As one of the region's largest employers, we do not take our responsibility lightly. But under these circumstances, we think closing a factory is the wisest thing to do,” he added.
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Boar's Head recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat and other products earlier this summer after tests confirmed the presence of listeria bacteria. The food giant now hopes to use the deadly outbreak as an opportunity for improvement, starting with the appointment of a new food safety and quality assurance officer and the establishment of a “Boar's Head Food Safety Council.”
“This is a dark moment in our company’s history, but we intend to use it as an opportunity to improve food safety programs not only for our company, but for the entire industry,” it said.
For now, use caution and common sense when purchasing sandwich ingredients.