The Boar’s Head plant at the center of the listeria outbreak is closing

Boar’s Head announced on Friday that it is “for an unlimited period” closing its deli factory in Virginia, which was linked to a fatal outbreak of listeria. Liverwurst processing was the source of the contamination and will be permanently discontinued, the company added.

Closure follows a extended recall on July 30when Boar’s Head expanded its recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products manufactured at the Jarratt facility. The recall was affected seven million kilograms of deli meatwhich covered approximately 71 products, including packaged items and deli meats.

In July, the company started remembering the luncheon meat by health departments and at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it tracked nine deaths and 57 product hospitalizations from the Jaratt plant. Later that month, Department of Agriculture records showed that Plant listeria control measures were inadequateand that they may have operated under unsanitary conditions. Production at the factory was halted shortly thereafter.

“Given the severity of the outbreak and the fact that it originated in Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to close this location indefinitely,” Boar’s Head said in a statement.

Jonathan Williams, communications director for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 Union, which represents about 500 workers at the plant, said the company will offer severance packages and/or relocation options.

“It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees,” Boar’s Head said. The company added that it does not take “our responsibility as one of the largest employers in the area lightly” and will “work to support” each of its employees during the transition.

Boar’s Head said closing the plant was “the most prudent course”. In response, the company plans to introduce a new safety board and will employ a Chief Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer (CFSO), who reports directly to the company president.