Boar’s Head is indefinitely closing its Jarratt, Virginia, production plant and permanently ceasing liverwurst production following a listeria outbreak that has sickened dozens and killed nine people.
The company’s announcement on September 13 offered an apology and said it was taking “comprehensive measures” to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. The company said it had identified the cause of the problem but did not say what specifically went wrong.
“Firstly, our investigation determined that the root cause of the contamination was a specific manufacturing process that was only present at the Jarratt plant and only used for liverwurst. This discovery has led us to decide to permanently cease producing liverwurst,” a Boar’s Head statement said.
“We make no excuses for the Jarratt plant’s inspection record and non-compliance reports, and in the spirit of full transparency, I am sharing with you the July 31, 2024 USDA suspension notice that the Jarratt facility received. here.”
USDA inspectors listed serious issues that could lead to severe action, such as a production shutdown, in 2022. But the plant continued to operate, and some of the conditions persisted. Citing widespread rust, deli meats exposed to wet ceilings, blue mold and holes in the walls, inspectors warned that conditions at the Boar’s Head plant posed an “imminent threat” to public health.
Inspections for 2022-2024 are as follows:
Boar’s Head began recalling its liverwurst products on July 25th in response to the outbreak, and on July 30th, the company expanded the recall to include 7 million pounds of prepared meat and poultry products produced at its Jarratt, Virginia, facility.
The outbreak has infected 57 people across 18 states, all of whom were hospitalized. More cases are likely to be identified, according to the Centers for Disease Control. There are also concerns that some consumers may still have dangerous products in their homes, as their expiration dates are well into October.
“We understand that you want and are entitled to answers, and that you would like them quickly, but we needed to take the time necessary to conduct a thorough investigation and analysis of all processes and procedures at all of Boar’s Head Provisions’ meat production facilities, not just the Jarratt, Virginia plant where our liverwurst is made,” the Boar’s Head statement read.
The company reports that it is working closely with the USDA and state regulators on the investigation, and has sought advice from leading food safety experts to oversee the investigation.
“While this is a dark moment in our company’s history, we intend to use it as an opportunity to strengthen our food safety programs, not just at our company but across the industry,” Boars Head said in a statement.
The company said it will immediately implement enhanced food safety and quality measures to prevent future incidents. These measures include:
- A new Chief Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer (CFSO) will be appointed, reporting directly to Boar’s Head’s President. The company is currently conducting a hiring process and aims to have this new executive in place as soon as possible.
- Establishing a “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council” made up of leading, independent food safety experts, some of whom are assisting with the ongoing investigation at the Jarratt facility.
“The Food Safety Committee will evolve over time and as needed to help adopt and implement our enhanced quality assurance program and create new standards for food safety in the industry. The committee will serve as an advisor to the new Chief Food Safety Officer and the entire company,” the company said.
The founding council members are Dr. David Acheson, Dr. Mindy Brashears, Dr. Martin Wiedmann, and Frank Yiannas.
Boar’s Head described the council members as follows:
David Acheson, MD, FRCP, He has served as President and CEO of The Acheson Group, a global food safety consulting group, since founding it in 2013. Previously, he was a Partner and Managing Director at Leavitt Partners, where he founded and managed the firm’s Food Safety Services business. Prior to his industry roles, he worked for eight years at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, rising from Chief Medical Officer for the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition to Deputy Commissioner for Foods.
Mindy Brashears, Ph.D. Brashears is a leading food safety expert and scholar. Formerly an Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety, Brashears is currently a professor of food safety and public health at Texas Tech University and director of the International Food Industry Center of Excellence.
Dr. Martin Wiedmann, M.D., Veterinarian, Ph.D. Dr. Wiedmann is the Gellert Family Professor of Food Safety at Cornell University and a food microbiologist who serves as co-director of the New York State Center of Excellence for Integrated Food Safety. Trained as both a veterinarian and a food scientist, Dr. Wiedmann’s program focuses on a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to food safety and quality from farm to fork. Dr. Wiedmann has conducted extensive research on foodborne pathogens and their prevention, and his notable insights into emerging food safety threats and cutting-edge technologies will be a valuable contribution to the Council’s work.
Frank Yiannas, MPH, is a former Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. His leadership in implementing the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) significantly improved food safety standards across the nation. A noted food safety expert, microbiologist and author, Yiannas has also held food safety leadership roles at Walmart and Disney. He is a past president of the International Food Protection Association, past vice president of the Global Food Safety Initiative, and an adjunct professor in the Food Safety Program at Michigan State University.
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