Boar’s Head Plant in Jarratt, Virginia Receives USDA “Revised” Notice of Suspension: Defects/Failings Noted in Summation of Currently Held Facts

The recent suspension of Boar’s Head operations at its Jarratt, Virginia, plant is tied to a serious listeria contamination issue that has impacted a large volume of its products. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) found that the facility produced ready-to-eat deli meats contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a dangerous bacterium that can cause severe illness, especially in vulnerable populations such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems.

Initially, Boar’s Head recalled over 200,000 pounds of liverwurst products on July 26, 2024, following tests conducted by state health agencies, which linked the products to a national listeria outbreak. This outbreak has led to 43 illnesses, 57 hospitalizations, and at least nine deaths across 18 states. Just days later, on July 30, the company expanded the recall to include over 7 million pounds of deli meats, as further testing confirmed the presence of the same strain of listeria in additional products​.

The listeria outbreak has prompted calls for increased oversight and more rigorous safety protocols at the plant, as well as nationwide. Noncompliance records from the USDA had previously flagged several health violations at the Jarratt facility, including unsanitary conditions such as meat residue on food contact surfaces and mold, which had not been fully addressed prior to the outbreak. This history of violations has drawn the attention of lawmakers, who are demanding further investigation into why the plant’s food safety issues were allowed to persist​.

Boar’s Head has taken steps to halt operations and cooperate with federal investigations. However, concerns remain about how long listeria-contaminated products may have been circulating before the recall was announced, as listeriosis symptoms can take weeks to manifest. Authorities are working with public health agencies to ensure all consumers are informed and advised to discard any affected products​.

Boar’s Head received a “revised” Letter of Suspension – among the many facts are the following statements of “fact” in the USDA letter:

Among the additional “Findings/Basis for Action” are the following partial list (Link above had full report):

1. The “revised notice of suspension” retains all the contents of the original notice of suspension that was issued on July 26, 2024, with addition findings.
2. Boar’s Head defines Listeria monocytogenes as low risk in the ready to eat (RTE) product due to:
   • employee practices in the GMP Plan
   • a through the SSOP plan.
3. Boar’s Head further states that “The risk is further reduced through an SSOP Plan conforming to Alternative 3 and Listeria sampling as required in 9 CFR 430 and Directive 10,240.4.
4. Boar’s Head establishment produced product adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes linked to an ongoing outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes.
5. As of July 30, 2024, this outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes includes 34 ill people from 13 states; 33/33 (100%) of whom have been hospitalized
6. There are at least 2 reported deaths attributed to listeriosis.
7. The Maryland Department of Health tested an unopened liverwurst product, and the sample tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
8. On July 29, 2024, whole genome sequencing showed that the Listeria monocytogenes isolated from the liverwurst sample is highly related to the Listeria monocytogenes making people sick in this outbreak.
9. On July 24 and 25, 2024, Intensified Verification Testing (IVT) sampling was conducted, and one (1) sample, identified as non-food contact surface/environmental, tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. This sample was collected from the following location:
   • Line 2: Non- Product Contact Surface Sponge, form # 103433961 confirmed positive for Listeria monocytogenes, site description: Pallet Jack SH3 during the production of Beechwood Ham lot #9624.
10. This positive Listeria monocytogenes result on the pallet jack demonstrates Listeria monocytogenes is present in the RTE post lethality processing environment and there are inadequate controls to prevent its spread throughout the RTE post lethality processing environment.
11. There is a risk of employees spreading Listeria monocytogenes through the RTE post lethality processing environment (Including while moving between lines).
12. Boar’s Head does not have a written plan to describe employee and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when moving between lines.
13. Observations included employees moving racks out of coolers and between lines without changing PPE, even when interacting with different product types. (As well as interacting with product such as garbage, debris from the floors, removing condensation from overhead structures, or performing maintenance.
14. Further insanitary conditions observed in the establishment that have the potential to spread contamination and Listeria monocytogenes are as follows.
    • failure to maintain sanitary conditions during processing, handling, and storing of the RTE post-lethality exposed products.
    • clear liquid was observed falling from a square patch in the ceiling. Ten feet from the patches, a black fan was mounted to the ceiling and was blowing the leaking clear liquid into the Blast Cell Hallway where uncovered Assorted Hams were stored.
15. NOS Item #1: “. . . [Boar’s Head’s] current sanitation is inadequate to prevent the creation of insanitary conditions and the adulteration of its products.
16. NOS Item #2 “… [Boar’s Head’s] has been operating under insanitary conditions. Therefore, you cannot support the use of sanitation alone to control Listeria monocytogenes, and determine Listeria monocytogenes is a hazard not reasonably likely to occur.”
17. NOS Item #3 [Boar’s Head’s] Fully Cooked Not Shelf Stable HACCP plan is inadequate.
18. NOS Item #4 “Your establishment has failed to adequately evaluate the effectiveness of these measures in accordance with 9 CFR 416.14.