Additional Coverage:
- Boar’s Head to close Virginia plant linked to listeria outbreak, 500 people out of work (newsbreak.com)
In an announcement on Friday, Boar’s Head revealed that they will be permanently closing their Jarratt, Virginia plant, which has been implicated in a multistate listeria outbreak.
The outbreak, which has led to 57 hospitalizations and nine deaths across 18 states, first came to light on July 19, following a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This prompted Boar’s Head to recall 207,528 pounds of liverwurst on July 26. A further recall was issued on July 30, expanding to include all products made at the Jarratt facility, totaling about 7.2 million pounds.
Inspection documents show that the facility had been grappling with various issues such as mold, insects, and water leaks since at least 2021. Around 500 unionized workers will be affected by the closure, according to Jonathan Williams, a spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 Union. Management staff will likely be impacted as well.
Boar’s Head stated that the plant had not been in operation since late July 2024 and shared a Notice of Suspension from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The notice cited the failure to maintain sanitary conditions and production of adulterated products linked to the listeria outbreak.
Boar’s Head expressed sorrow over the impact on employees but deemed the closure necessary under the circumstances. They committed to assisting employees through the transition and announced they would discontinue their liverwurst products permanently.
The company also mentioned plans to use this incident to bolster their food safety programs across the industry. New measures include appointing a chief food safety and quality assurance officer and establishing a Boar’s Head Food Safety Council composed of renowned experts.
In a statement, Boar’s Head acknowledged the severity of the situation and emphasized their commitment to improving food safety standards throughout the entire industry.