Woman issues Boar’s Head warning 'I stopped buying all lunch meat'

Photo by@hannahthawriter/TikTok NYC Neo-Artist/ShutterStock The Image Party/ShutterStock

"I really wonder how many people did the same". Recently, meat manufacturer Boar’s Head has been in the spotlight after it was found that a listeria outbreak had affected their products.

According to USA Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first reported the deadly outbreak on July 19, which led to Boar’s Head recalling approximately 7.2 million pounds of its goods from stores. At least 57 people have been hospitalized across 18 states as a result of the outbreak, with nine fatalities recorded as of Aug. 28, per the CDC’s investigation.

The problem was traced back to the company's facility in Jarratt, Virginia. CBS News and various other sources managed to get their hands on inspection reports for the facility through the Freedom of Information Act. These reports revealed that, prior to the recall, there were "reports of live and dead insects, black and green mold, mildew, water that was both dripping and standing, and other unclean conditions," as reported by writer Mary Walrath-Holdridge.

Other reports found rust, bad smells, “slimy” materials, and more.

Due to these problems, Boar’s Head has recently made the difficult decision to shut down the facility, which has left approximately 500 employees without jobs.

While a few believe that such incidents are bound to happen when dealing with food items, there are others who disagree. They argue that a lack of strong regulations is contributing to Boar’s Head's current legal troubles and a decline in its sales.

Why this woman says you should “follow the money” with Boar’s Head

In a clip that has garnered more than 466,000 views, a TikTok creator named Hannah (@hannahthawriter) clarifies that the result isn't particularly unexpected if someone "engages in the practice of 'following the money.'"

“So you might know that when he was President, Donald Trump passed legislation to roll back food safety protocols delineated by the FDA, CDC, and USDA,” she starts.

This is true. As noted by The Counter, “Citing unprecedented disruptions, federal agencies have rolled restrictions back on various segments of food production—from labor protections for meatpacking workers to food labeling requirements for manufacturers.”

In other words, it remains uncertain to what extent these particular rollbacks affected Boar’s Head and contributed to the present outbreak. The USDA had cautioned Boar’s Head about the "imminent threat" presented by its Jarratt facility approximately 2 years prior; yet, the discovery "did not result in any enforcement measures following the USDA's examination of the testing outcomes, records, and observations," as mentioned by a spokesperson for Boar’s Head cited by The Hill.

“But did you know there’s a group called Big Meat…who lobbied and paid a lot of money to make that happen, you know, so they could cut costs and fill your meat with s*** — like, literal s***?” Hannah asks.

To be clear, “Big Meat” is a term used to describe a group of various lobbyists who attempt to influence the government on behalf of the meat industry. It is not a group to which a company can be a member, though these groups may work together to achieve shared goals.

There was also no legal change under Trump that allowed one to put “literal s***” in meat products, as the presence of feces in meat was already noted before Trump rolled back various regulatory programs.

While the USDA told CNN that they have a “zero tolerance policy for fecal material on meat and poultry,” a 2015 Consumer Reports investigation found that, of the over 450 pounds of beef examined in their study, all of it “contained bacteria that signified fecal contamination (enterococcus and/or non-toxin-producing E. coli), which can cause blood or urinary tract infections.”

“And did you know that there’s a company called the Meat Institute that is a major player in Big Meat?” Hannah continues.

There's some debate over whether the Meat Institute holds significant influence within the meat industry's advocacy circles. However, according to OpenSecrets, in the year Trump took office in 2016, the organization allocated nearly $275,000 for lobbying activities. By the last year of Trump's term, 2020, the organization had invested over $325k in lobbying.

“And did you know that Michael Martella, the president of Boar’s Head, is on their board of directors—meaning that they literally only have themselves to blame that this happened, and that they’ve now lost millions and millions and millions of dollars?” Hannah states. “Not to mention all the dollars lost in brand loyalty, because nobody is gonna buy their product.”

Michael Martella is, in fact, on the Meat Institute’s Board of Directors, listed on the Institute’s website under the name “Mike Martella.”

“Now they’ve closed an entire plant because it was so disgusting,” Hannah concludes. “Talk about voting against your own self-interest.”

Commenters share their thoughts

In the comments section, users shared their thoughts on the recent Boar’s Head scandal.

“I am furious as to why this wasn’t brought up in the debate!!” exclaimed a user. “The amount of recalls is insane!!!!!!”

“I was spending $80 a week on boarshead for my lunches and I haven’t bought lunch meat since,” added another.

“No more lunch meat. We stopped eating sandwiches in general,” echoed a third. “It’s sad because I loved a turkey sandwhich more than anything.”