Deadly Listeria Outbreak at Boar’s Head Plant Sparks USDA Inquiry

A deadly listeria outbreak at a Boar’s Head deli meat plant has prompted an internal investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) into its handling of reports about unsanitary conditions.

Concerns had been raised by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who criticized the agency’s response to repeated warnings about health risks at the facility.

The listeria outbreak began in May and has resulted in at least 10 deaths and nearly 50 hospitalizations across 19 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Boar’s Head products, including liverwurst, were found to be contaminated with listeria.

Following the outbreak, Boar’s Head recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed nationwide and indefinitely closed the Virginia plant.

USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong is leading the inquiry into whether federal and Virginia state inspectors acted appropriately in addressing dozens of reports of serious problems at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant.

Inspection reports going back two years highlighted alarming issues such as mold, insect infestations, dripping water, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment—conditions that posed an “imminent threat” to food safety, according to officials.

A spokesperson for Boar’s Head told Newsweek in September via email: “In response to the inspection records and noncompliance reports at the Jarratt plant, we will not make excuses.”

The company added that eligible team members impacted by the plant’s closure were provided “with financial packages and benefits, as well as resources and assistance to help them find new opportunities.”

Boar’s Head said it would permanently discontinue its production of liverwurst, which was identified as the root cause of the contamination.

The investigation followed a letter from Blumenthal sent on September 5 in which he demanded a thorough review of the USDA’s oversight of the plant.

“USDA took virtually no action—allowing Boar’s Head to continue business as usual at its chronically unsanitary Virginia plant—despite finding repeated serious violations,” Blumenthal said in a statement.

Officials with Fong’s office did not immediately confirm the investigation.

Blumenthal declined to release the agency’s response. He said the internal investigation would evaluate the handling of recurrent problems and whether state inspections properly reduced the risk of tainted products entering the food supply.

The Boar’s Head plant was inspected under a program that allows state inspectors to act on behalf of the federal agency.

In addition to the USDA inquiry, Blumenthal and Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut have urged the Justice Department to investigate whether criminal charges are warranted against Boar’s Head.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has faced criticism for refusing to release documents related to the plant’s inspections, as well as reports from eight other Boar’s Head facilities across the country.

The agency denied Freedom of Information Act requests from the Associated Press, claiming that releasing the records could interfere with potential law enforcement actions. The Associated Press is appealing the decision.

This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.