Recalled Meat Sold In North Carolina Linked To Deadly Outbreak

Several meat products sold in North Carolina have been recalled due to a possible link to an ongoing national listeria outbreak that has left two people dead.

Boar's Head Provisions Co. has expanded its original July 26 recall of deli meats to include 7 million more pounds of 71 ready-to-eat meat and poultry products due to a potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, according to a July 30 release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. A sample from the brand's liverwurst previously tested positive for outbreak strain that has sickened 34 people across 13 states and resulted in two deaths.

Dozens of products from the Boar's Head and Old Country brands distributed to retailers nationwide were included in the recall, have "sell by" dates ranging from July 29, 2024, to October 17, 2024, and have the establishment number "EST. 12612" or "P-12614" inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels. For a full list of recalled products, visit USDA .

Listeria monocytogenes is the bacteria that can cause listeria, leading to serious and sometimes fatal infections that can cause severe illness in high-risk groups like children, the elderly, those who are pregnant and persons with weakened immune systems, according to the Mayo Clinic . Symptoms can include fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea.

The recalled products should not be consumed, and anyone who has purchased them are urged to either throw them away or return to the place of purchase for a refund. The investigation remains ongoing.

For more information about the recall, visit fsis.usda.gov . You can also visit the USDA's FSIS website to see the labels of all the impacted products.