USA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meat products has become America’s largest since 2011.
Last month, Boar’s Head recalled certain products made at its plant in Jarratt, Virginia. The company said the food safety was the “absolute priority”, and that the team at the plant immediately addressed the issues they found.
The recall started with ready-to-eat liverwurst products and expanded to include all deli meats including sliced hams, sausages and meatloaves manufactured at the Virginia facility. The Virginia plant has ceased operations since the recall for disinfection work to take place.
Samples from unopened products distributed from the Boar’s Head plant were found by authorities in multiple states to be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Genetic sequencing linked the bacteria from the products to the strain driving the outbreak.
At least nine deaths have now been tied to the outbreak, and 57 people have been hospitalised. The 57 hospitalisations linked to the outbreak have occurred in 18 states, the CDC said.
Those states are Arizona, New Mexico, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.
“If at any time inspectors identify something that needs to be addressed, our team does so immediately, as was the case with each and every issue raised by USDA in this report,” spokesperson Elizabeth Ward said in her statement.
“This is the largest listeriosis outbreak since the 2011 outbreak linked to cantaloupe (melons).”
Department of Agriculture officials found dozens of violations at the Boar’s Head plant in Virginia. Among the 69 violations were mould and mildew building up in the facilities at the hand-washing sinks and in holding coolers between smokehouses.
The records also indicated leaking and pooling water with “green algal growth” in one puddle, and condensation water dripping over products. There were also reports of insects flying around the meat.
“Consumers who were unaware of the recall may have eaten recalled products. People may also have a prolonged course of illness,” a spokesperson for South Carolina’s health department said in a statement following the new deaths.
Listeria is a germ that can remain on surfaces like meat slicers and foods, even at refrigerated temperatures. The CDC says some infected people can take up to 10 weeks to experience symptoms, though most usually appear within two weeks of eating contaminated food.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches and tiredness as well as headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or seizures. The CDC warns some of the Boar’s Head products have sell-by dates of October 2024.
