Boar's Head: Throw Away Possibly Tainted Deli Meats

UPDATE Jul 31, 2024 2:00 AM CDT

The popular deli meat company Boar's Head is recalling an additional 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat products made at a Virginia plant as an investigation into a deadly outbreak of listeria food poisoning continues, US Agriculture Department officials said Tuesday. The new recall includes 71 products made between May 10 and July 29 under the Boar's Head and Old Country brand names, including meat intended to be sliced at delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold in stores, the AP reports. It follows an earlier recall of more than 200,000 pounds of sliced deli poultry and meat. "Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to immediately and voluntarily expand our recall to include all items produced at the Jarratt facility," the company said on its website. It has also halted production of ready-to-eat foods at the Virginia plant.

Jul 27, 2024 6:00 AM CDT

US health officials on Friday announced a recall of some Boar's Head liverwurst and deli meats as they investigate a listeria outbreak that has sickened nearly three dozen people and caused two deaths. Boar's Head Provisions Co. recalled liverwurst because it may be tainted with the listeria bacteria, the Department of Agriculture said. The agency said a sample of Boar's Head liverwurst from a Maryland store tested positive for listeria, per the AP. The company is also recalling deli-sliced meats made the same day on the same line as the contaminated liverwurst at a Virginia plant, the USDA said. The sample was from an unopened package, collected by health officials as part of an investigation into the listeria outbreak. Testing is underway to determine if the liverwurst sample is connected to the outbreak, health officials said.

"We are cooperating fully with government authorities and conducting our own investigation into this incident," the Sarasota, Florida-based company said in a statement. The listeria outbreak was first reported last week.

• The numbers: Since late May, 34 people were sickened across 13 states, with all but one hospitalized. Two people died, one in Illinois and one in New Jersey. People most commonly reported eating deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham, officials said.
• Listeria: It can take weeks for symptoms to develop, so there may be more cases, officials said. Listeria can contaminate food and sicken people who eat it. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea. It can be treated with antibiotics, but it's especially dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year, and about 260 die, according to the CDC.
• The recall: The Boar's Head recall of more than 200,000 pounds shipped nationwide applies to meats sliced at a deli counter, not prepackaged meats. It includes a number of multipound packages stamped with an Aug. 10 sell-by date, including bologna, garlic bologna, beef bologna, beef salami, Italian Cappy-style ham, and Extra Hot Italian Cappy-style ham. Also included is Steakhouse Roasted Bacon Heat and Eat, with a sell-by date of Aug. 15.
• What next? The company said customers should throw away the recalled products or return them to the store for a refund. Health officials said refrigerators should be thoroughly cleaned to prevent contamination of other foods. (Also at risk for listeria, per the FDA: these veggies and herbs.)