Boar’s Head to close Virginia deli meat plant tied to deadly listeria outbreak

Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Boar's Head plans to close the Virginia plant that produced deli meat linked to a deadly listeria outbreak.

The company said Friday it will close the plant indefinitely in Jarratt, about 77 miles west of Norfolk, Va. The company has plants in other locations.

More than 7 million pounds of Boar's Head meat products had been recalled in a public notice that still remains in effect. The deli products are sold in supermarkets, including Kroger, Albertson's and Publix.

"Given the seriousness of the outbreak, and the fact that it originated at Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely close this location, which has not been operational since late July 2024," the company said Friday. "It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area's largest employers. But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course."

The company also said it will permanently discontinue sales of liverwurst, which was found in its production process as the root cause of the listeria contamination.

In addition, it will implement a companywide food safety program, appoint a new food safety officer and bring on food safety council.

The Boar's Head plant, which is largest private employer in Greensville County, has about 500 union workers, a spokesperson for the United Food and Commercial Workers told The Washington Post.

The Department of Agriculture detailed scores of disturbing health violations during inspections dating as far back as 2022 until August.

Boar's Head announced the liverwurst recalls in July.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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 CDC later updated it to 57 hospitalized in 18 states and nine deaths.

The CDC said it is the largest listeria outbreak since one linked to cantaloupe in 2011.

Listeria bacteria causes listeriosis , the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the nation. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches and fatigue. An infection can also cause a stiff neck, a headache, confusion or seizures.

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.

Boar's Head Brand was established in the New York City area in 1905.

"Dissatisfied with the quality of hams available, our founder Frank Brunckhorst set out to craft products of uncompromising standards by using only the finest ingredients," the company said on its website .

The company remains family-owned and is based in Sarasota, Fla.