The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the conclusion of a significant listeria outbreak connected to Boar’s Head deli meats. The outbreak, which spread across 19 states, resulted in 61 illnesses and 10 deaths between late May and mid-September of this year.
Following CDC protocols, which consider outbreaks resolved after 60 days without new cases, the incident has been declared over. Additionally, all potentially contaminated deli products have now exceeded their shelf life.
In response to the outbreak, Boar’s Head implemented a nationwide recall of more than 7 million pounds of deli meat products. The company also took the significant step of closing its production facility in Jarratt, Virginia, and permanently discontinued its liverwurst production line.
The facility at the center of the outbreak has faced numerous documented issues. Reports detail multiple problems within the factory, including the presence of mold, insects, water leakage, and contamination on walls, floors, and equipment.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has initiated an internal investigation to examine the response of federal investigators and Virginia state inspectors to these reported issues. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who requested this investigation, has not yet received any updates on its findings.
The aftermath of the outbreak continues to unfold on multiple fronts. Boar’s Head now faces legal challenges from dozens of impacted individuals and their families who have filed lawsuits against the company.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has declined to release documents related to their inspections and enforcement actions at the Virginia plant. This includes inspection reports from eight additional Boar’s Head manufacturing facilities across the country.
The outbreak’s resolution comes after months of investigation and response efforts by federal health officials into one of the larger food safety challenges faced by the deli meat industry in recent years, resulting in the loss of many lives and significant operational changes at one of the country’s major meat processors.
Commenting on this story, national Listeria lawyer Ron Simon, whose firm Ron Simon & Associates is representing the family of Gunter Morgenstein who died after eating Listeria-contaminated liverwurst from Boar’s Head, said, “While the outbreak may be over, the impact is just being felt. Many people were severely sickened and ten families are no longer with their loved ones.”
