Boar’s Head Plant Linked to Deadly Listeria Violated Food Safety Rules, Records Show

A Boar’s Head deli in Virginia linked to a deadly food poisoning outbreak has repeatedly violated federal regulations, including cases of mold, insects, liquid leaking from the ceiling and meat and grease residue on the walls, floors and equipment, newly released records show.

Government inspectors have recorded 69 cases of “non-compliance” with federal rules over the past year, including several in recent weeks, according to documents released through federal Freedom of Information Act requests.

Inspections at the plant have been suspended and it will remain closed “until the facility can demonstrate that it can produce safe products,” U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said in a statement Thursday. Boar’s Head officials halted production at the Jarratt, Va., plant in late July.

The plant has been linked to the deaths of at least nine people and the hospitalization of about 50 others in 18 states. All contracted listeria after eating Boar’s Head Provisions Co. deli meats. Inc. The company recalled more than 7 million kilograms of products last month after tests confirmed that Listeria bacteria in Boar’s Head products was making people sick.

Between August 1, 2023 and August 2, 2024, inspectors found “heavy build-up of discolored meat” and “excessive meat splatter on the walls and large pieces of meat on the floor.” They also documented flies “in and out” of pickle vats and “black spots of mold” on a ceiling. An inspector detailed pooled blood on the floor and “a rancid smell in the fridge”. Plant personnel were repeatedly notified that they were not in compliance, the documents show.

“I think it’s disgusting and shameful,” said Garshon Morgenstein, whose father, Gunter, 88, died July 18 of a listeria infection from Boar’s Head liverwurst. “I’m even more shocked that this was allowed to happen.”

The plant was inspected by Virginia officials through a partnership with the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service. When problems were found, Boar’s Head took “corrective action in accordance with FSIS regulations,” officials said. Federal records show no enforcement actions against Boar’s Head between January and March, the most recent records available.

The documents, first reported by CBS News, contained no test results confirming listeria at the plant. Bacteria thrive on floors, walls, and drains, in cracks and crevices, and in hard-to-clean parts of food processing equipment. Pests such as flies can easily spread bacteria through a plant, and germs can survive in biofilms—thin, villous collections of bacteria that are difficult to eradicate.

Boar’s Head officials did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, but a spokesperson told CBS that the company regrets the impact of the recall and prioritizes food safety. On its website, the company said all issues raised by government inspectors were addressed immediately.

Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University, said the records raise a lot of red flags.

“It makes me wonder why more action wasn’t taken by that company’s management and regulators,” she said.

Donald Schaffner, a Rutgers food science and safety expert who reviewed the inspection documents, said reports of condensation throughout the plant are concerning because it is a known risk factor for listeria.

“The fact that they’re having the same problems over and over again at intervals of weeks is an indication that they’re really struggling to keep up with sanitation,” Schaffner said.

Listeria infections cause about 1,600 illnesses each year in the U.S. and about 260 people die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People over the age of 65, those who are pregnant or who have a weakened immune system are most vulnerable.

Bill Marler, a Seattle attorney who has sued companies over food poisoning outbreaks, said the conditions described in the inspection reports were the worst he had seen in three decades.

Garshon Morgenstein said his father bought Boar’s Head products because of the company’s reputation.

“For the rest of my life, I have to remember my father’s death every time I see or hear the name Boar’s Head,” he said.

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