USA – Boar’s Head Brand has appointed Frank Yiannas, the former Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy & Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as chief food safety advisor on an interim basis, effective immediately.
Yiannas will be responsible for helping to ensure leading standards of food safety and quality across the organization. He will also oversee the nationwide search for a chief food safety officer to succeed him.
In addition, Mr. Yiannas will chair the recently formed independent Boar’s Head Food Safety Advisory Council, which comprises three additional industry-leading food safety experts, Dr. David Acheson, Dr. Mindy Brashears, and Dr. Martin Wiedmann.
The council will provide guidance and support to the company’s adoption and implementation of enhanced quality food safety programs.
Yiannas, renowned food safety expert, microbiologist and author, brings a wealth of experience in regulatory oversight and public health. His leadership in implementing the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has significantly improved food safety standards across the nation.
Yiannas has also held food safety leadership roles at Walmart and Disney. He is a past president of the International Association for Food Protection and a past vice-chairman of the Global Food Safety Initiative. as well as an adjunct professor in the food safety program at Michigan State University.
Yiannas’ vast experience in building effective food safety management systems through innovative ways and his foundational work on building a food safety culture will be pivotal in shaping the company’s food safety programs going forward.
Meanwhile, Marler Clark has filed first wrongful death Listeria Lawsuit in New York against Boar’s Head.
The filing argues that as of September 25, a total of 59 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from 19 states – Including: Arizona 1, Florida 3, Georgia 2, Illinois 1, Indiana 1, Louisiana 1, Maryland 8, Massachusetts 3, Minnesota 1, Missouri 3, New Jersey 6, New Mexico 1, New York 17, North Carolina 1, Pennsylvania 2, South Carolina 2, Tennessee 1, Virginia 4, and Wisconsin 1.
Of 57 people with information available, all 59 have been hospitalized. One person got sick during their pregnancy and remained pregnant after recovering.
So far, ten deaths have been reported, including one in Illinois, one in New Jersey, one in Virginia, one in Florida, one in Tennessee, one in New Mexico, two in New York, and two in South Carolina.
Boar’s Head recalled deli meats due to contamination with the bacteria listeria, which can cause deadly illness in some populations.
The recall expansion included 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under Defendant’s Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names.
These items include meat intended for slicing at retail delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations. These products have “sell by” dates ranging from 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24.
