New investigation finds insects, mold and mildew in Boar's Head plant linked to listeria outbreak

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors have found a handful of health violations at a Boar's Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia, linked to a nationwide listeria outbreak concerning sliced deli meats.

New records released by the department reveal that inspectors faulted Boar's Head several times for mold or mildew building up throughout the site of the plant. CBS News reported that last month, inspectors found what appeared to be mold and mildew around the hand-washing sinks used by workers preparing ready-to-eat meats. Mold build-up was also found outside of steel vats used by the plant and inside holding coolers between the site's smokehouses.

Inspectors noted the presence of insects in and around deli meats at the plant. In one instance, the USDA had to tag more than 980 pounds of ham in a smokehouse hallway to be “retained” for an investigation. Flies were also seen going in and out of “vats of pickle” left in a room.

Other locations reportedly had issues with leaking or pooling water and even puddles of blood.

A spokesperson for Boar’s Head told CBS News that all operations have been suspended at the Jarratt plant. The company is currently working to disinfect the plant and retrain its employees.

On July 25, Boar’s Head recalled its Strassburger Brand Liverwurst made at its plant in Jarratt, Virginia, along with nine other products made on the same line and the same day. The company updated its recall just four days later after testing confirmed that the liverwurst was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and indeed the source of a multistate outbreak. In the interest of public health and safety, Boar’s Head also expanded its recall “to include every item produced at the same facility as our liverwurst.”

The outbreak has been reported in 18 states. At least nine deaths have been reported and 57 people have been hospitalized since the outbreak. “This is the largest listeriosis outbreak since the 2011 outbreak linked to cantaloupe,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday.