The Department of Agriculture’s inspectors identified insects, mold, and mildew at a Boar’s Head production facility associated with a listeria outbreak that prompted a multistate recall of potentially contaminated deli meats.

Agency records obtained by CBS News via a Freedom of Information Act request indicate that inspectors filed 69 reports of “noncompliances” in the past year at the Jarratt, Virginia plant.

In the weeks before Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. announced a recall of over 200,000 pounds of liverwurst on July 26 due to potential listeria contamination, inspectors encountered live and dead insects, as well as black and green mold, and mildew inside the facility.

After the initial recall, Boar’s Head expanded it to cover all products produced at the plant, totaling approximately 7.2 million pounds of deli meats.

An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that deli meats, including Boar’s Head liverwurst, were contaminated with listeria, resulting in illnesses.

As of August 28, the CDC reports that the multistate listeriosis outbreak, first reported on July 19, has led to at least 57 hospitalizations and eight fatalities across 18 states.

The CDC announced on Wednesday that five additional deaths related to the outbreak were reported, including the first fatalities in New Mexico, South Carolina (2), and Tennessee.

“We are profoundly sorry for the effects this recall has had on the families impacted,” stated Elizabeth Ward, a spokesperson for Boar’s Head to YSL News. “Words cannot fully convey our sympathy and the genuine sorrow we feel for those who have lost loved ones or faced health issues.”

Boar’s Head: USDA noncompliance reports

The records obtained by CBS News reveal several “noncompliances” noted by inspectors:

• July 25, 2024: A flying insect was seen close to a rack containing 980 pounds of Tavern Ham.
• July 23, 2024: An inspector reported what seemed to be black mold and mildew and rust beneath handwashing sinks.
• July 17, 2024: Three dead insects were located in the Cure Cooler, and several others, including two that were alive, were found in the facility.
• June 10, 2024: “Around 15-20 flies were observed entering and leaving four vats of pickle” in the plant’s “raw side.” In various locations, “small flying gnat-like insects were seen crawling on walls and flying around,” along with “a continuous line of ants traveling along the wall-floor junction on the right side,” and seven ladybugs, one beetle-like insect, and one cockroach-like insect.
• February 21, 2024: “Considerable amounts of blood were found in puddles on the floor” of the Raw Receiving cooler, which also had a foul odor present.

Ward emphasized that ensuring food safety is Boar’s Head’s “top priority.”

“Being a USDA-inspected food producer means that inspectors are present in our Jarratt, Virginia facility daily, and we take immediate action whenever they report issues, as we did with each problem outlined by the USDA in this report,” she stated.

Boar’s Head is currently concentrating on sanitizing the plant and enhancing staff training, with Ward adding that production will not restart until they achieve “the highest quality and safety standards.”

Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge.

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