Boar’s Head recalls liverwurst, other deli meat products over Listeria fears

BALTIMORE, MD—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a recall of 207,528 pounds of deli meat sold nationwide by Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc.

The recall was prompted by the discovery of Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of liverwurst produced by the company. The bacteria was found to be in a package labeled “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA.” The products in question were produced between June 11, 2024, and July 17, 2024, and have a shelf life of 44 days.

The recall includes 3.5-pound loaves in plastic casing, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA.” The packages are branded with “sell by dates ranging July 25, 2024, to Aug. 30, 2024.”

Additional deli meat products produced on June 27, 2024, are also subject to the recall – view labels here (PDF). The packages are labeled “Boar’s Head VIRGINIA HAM OLD FASHIONED HAM” with “sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.

“Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. is also recalling additional deli meat products that were produced on the same line and on the same day as the liverwurst and, therefore, may be adulterated with L. monocytogenes,” the FSIS said in a statement. The full list of recalled products can be viewed online here.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In people who are pregnant, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

The FSIS continues to investigate the outbreak of Listeria and recommends that consumers consume the recalled products only if they are fully tested and confirmed to be safe. Anyone who has purchased one of the products and has questions is urged to contact the company at 1-800-352-6277.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.