USDA reports say Boar's Head outbreak of listeria was 'imminent' at Virginia facility

Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The spread of listeria in the United States out of a Boars Head's facility in Virginia which has killed several and hospitalized dozens, first showed an "imminent" threat two years before the outbreak, according to new records.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the deadly listeria outbreak that originated at a Boar's Head facility in Jarratt, Va., and detailed scores of disturbing health violations during inspections dating as far back as 2022 until August. The plant is still at the center of a nationwide deli meat recall.

Two rounds of released documentation over a two-year period by USDA detail a number of health violations at Boar's Head's rural Virginia facility in that timeframe, including mold and condensation issues during inspections were reported with live beetles or insects in various places, dirt and trash with product buildup on rusted and dirty equipment and blood in puddles on the floor, the New York Times reported.

Yet, despite reports detailing the repeated violations and Boar's Head's acknowledgment, the 44-year-old Jarratt plant continued to operate. But a company spokesperson pointed out the inspector's findings were not followed by any enforceable USDA actions.

"They shouldn't have allowed this company to keep producing ready-to-eat products, lunch meat that's going to go on people's tables, when they're seeing this level of violation," said Sarah Sorscher, a food safety regulatory expert at the nonprofit advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest.

"Consumers had to die before this plant got shut down, really is the bottom line," she told the Times.

The CDC first reported July 20 that a listeria outbreak tied to sliced deli meats had killed two and hospitalized at least 28 other people in 12 states at the time from roughly May 20 to July 5.

The ongoing outbreak of listeriosis, which is America's third-leading cause of death due to foodborne illnesses, is "the largest listeriosis outbreak since the 2011 outbreak linked to cantaloupe," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least nine deaths and more than 60 hospitalizations have so far been reported in at least 17 states with known listeria cases tied directly to the Boar's Head outbreak, the CDC had confirmed.

Meanwhile, all operations at the plant have been suspended. Company officials have been working to disinfect the facility and retrain its current employees, and no meat products will be sent out "until it meets the highest quality and safety standards," a company spokesperson has said.

More than 7 million pounds of Boar's Head meat products had been recalled in a public notice that still remains in effect. At first, the CDC did not issue a recall on any of the deli meat, citing contaminated deli equipment as the likely root of the outbreak.

Unopened packaged products genetically tested in multiple states were found contaminated with the bacteria known as listeria monocytogenes. Commonly referred to as listeria, it is a serious infection that primarily affects pregnant women, people 65 or older, or who those with a weakened immune system.

Two former USDA officials told the New York Times they were surprised the plant had not originally been shut down by the federal agency following the inspections which would have put Boar's Head in a high-risk category.

At first, CDC investigators at the time of the breakout found that shoppers afflicted with listeria had all eaten Boar's Head turkey or liverwurst products while some said they ate ham. Initially, a limited recall was issued for select Boar's Head deli meats that days later expanded to include all products made alongside liverwurst like ham, bologna and salami at the Virginia facility.

The CDC had advised U.S. consumers to check for any remaining Boar's Head products especially if with an October sell-by date labeled with "EST. 12612" or "P-12612" inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.

USDA investigators said in a report that paperwork errors joined the scores of other health violations like leftover meat on equipment, mold, mildew and insects repeatedly discovered during inspections.

Records released by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service to CBS News via a Freedom of Information Act request revealed no less than 69 records of "non-compliances" flagged by USDA over the past year at Boar's Head's Virginia facility.

"In addition to taking a holistic look at Boar's Head establishments across the country," a FSIS spokesperson told The Hill , the USDA investigation of Boar's Head's plant in Jarratt "will include a top-to-bottom review to determine contributing factors that led to the outbreak at this particular facility, what needs to be improved, and if there are lessons learned that could be more broadly applied to ready-to-eat meat and poultry facilities."

American shoppers who purchased the tainted meat products may not yet show symptoms. People classified in high-risk categories who show symptoms, it is suggested, should seek immediate medical care.

Symptoms typically show within two weeks of eating listeria-contaminated food, but may occur as early as a day or be delayed for as long as 10 weeks, according to the CDC.

Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions and diarrhea or other gastrointestinal issues. An infection can cause pregnancy complications, including miscarriages, stillbirths and premature delivery.

The CDC recommends heating deli meats sliced at any deli counter to an internal temperature of 165 degrees or until the meat is steaming hot.

Consumers also can protect against listeria by cleaning their refrigerators and any containers or surfaces that might have contacted sliced deli meats.