The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that poor sanitation practices at a Boar’s Head facility located in Virginia were key factors in a multi-state listeria outbreak last summer, which resulted in 10 fatalities and 61 illnesses.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) emphasized in their report that enhanced government monitoring is essential to avert such incidents in the future. The report highlighted the need for a thorough review and improvement of the FSIS’s strategies for managing listeria in food production.

Following a recall initiated in July 2024, the USDA’s FSIS revealed that inspectors had documented 69 instances of “noncompliance” at the Boar’s Head facility in Jarratt, Virginia, leading up to the recall. Observations included the presence of live and dead insects, mold, and other unsanitary conditions.

The report stated that food manufacturers are required to address all identified “noncompliance” issues. Nonetheless, repeatedly noted unsanitary conditions can create environments conducive to the growth or persistence of (Listeria monocytogenes).

What is listeria?

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can lead to listeriosis, a serious infection that may occur even in refrigerated conditions and can spread during food processing, as reported by the Food and Drug Administration.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that listeriosis can be especially severe or life-threatening for certain groups, including newborns, senior citizens, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

The CDC began its investigation into the outbreak on July 19, 2024. Shortly after, on July 26, Boar’s Head started recalling potentially affected products, starting with liverwurst from the Jarratt facility and subsequently recalling another 7 million pounds of deli meat on July 30. The plant was eventually closed on September 13, 2024.

In total, 61 individuals across 19 states were reported ill during this outbreak, leading to 60 hospitalizations and 10 deaths. However, the CDC believes that more cases may have been unreported.

USDA: Inspections revealed concerns over sanitation at Boar’s Head facility

Notable compliance issues included:

• Product residue: Inspectors discovered leftover meat and fat on packaging equipment and in the processing area from the previous day’s work. Such residue can harbor listeria and become resistant to cleaning efforts.
• Condensation: Exposed products were found with condensation dripping on them, while fans blew condensation onto products. Listeria can be transferred via condensation onto food items.
• Structural issues: Observations included cracks, holes, and damaged flooring that could allow moisture to accumulate, facilitating bacteria growth. Additionally, inspectors noted rust, condensation, and peeling caulk.

The report indicates that the inspection records from the Boar’s Head facility reveal a concerning pattern that increases the risk of listeria contamination.

Food safety authorities also conducted listeria tests at other Boar’s Head locations in Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, and Virginia to ensure that identified issues were corrected and monitored effectively over time, the report stated.

USDA prioritizes inspections at ready-to-eat food facilities

The FSIS plans to focus on inspections at facilities that produce ready-to-eat meat and poultry products and to broaden the types of listeria tested at these plants. This is intended to better assess the effectiveness of facilities’ sanitation protocols.

Inspectors will also monitor repeated noncompliance issues, as these may indicate more significant, systemic problems within a facility, according to the report.

The FSIS highlighted the necessity for enhancements in their recent report. It emphasizes “the importance for the agency to evaluate and uplift all facets of its handling of (Listeria monocytogenes),” as stated in the findings.

Key actions recommended include:

• Enhanced training. Food safety inspectors will receive “refreshed guidance and training … to better prepare the workforce in identifying and addressing systemic issues in a standardized manner,” according to the report.
• Enhanced identification of at-risk facilities: The existing algorithm used for evaluating public health risks at a facility will be revised “to more effectively pinpoint high-risk locations,” the report notes.
• Revised regulations. The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods has been assigned to review the USDA’s regulations regarding listeria. Their recommendations will “inform more enduring policy adjustments,” the report indicates.

Attorney: With Boar’s Head report, regulators fall short on ‘responsibility to consumers’

A notable limitation of the report is the lack of explanation regarding why the Boar’s Head facility in Jarratt was allowed to continue operations despite numerous compliance failures, remarked Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer based in Seattle, who represents five families affected by the outbreak, including five fatalities.

“Ten lives were lost unnecessarily (and) another 51 individuals were hospitalized due to severe Listeria infections. While Boar’s Head bears significant responsibility, what about the USDA/FSIS’s duty to protect consumers?” Marler stated to YSL News on Saturday.

He detailed the unsanitary conditions highlighted in an October 2022 inspection report released by the USDA on his firm’s blog. The report noted “significant deficiencies related to the facility’s physical state that could represent an imminent danger to products.” However, no follow-up inspection was conducted.

Marler, who had previously advocated for a congressional inquiry into the matter, questioned in the blog post, “Where is the Inspector General’s Report? And, where are the Congressional Hearings?”

Back in September, Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Representative Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., urged the USDA and the Justice Department to bolster the USDA’s protocols for listeria prevention and to consider criminal actions against Boar’s Head.