U.S. Agriculture Department officials have launched an internal investigation into how the agency handled reports of serious problems at a Boar’s Head deli meat plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak, a lawmaker said Tuesday.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong is looking into whether federal investigators and Virginia state inspectors responded appropriately to dozens of reports of problems at the factory, including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. Inspection reports dating back at least two years indicated that the conditions could pose an “imminent threat” to food safety.
The action came in response to a Sept. 5 letter from Blumenthal demanding an investigation, he said.
“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,” the Connecticut Democrat said in a statement.