Lawmakers call for consequences after listeria outbreak death toll reaches 10

Connecticut lawmakers called Boar's Head's lack of action in stopping the listeria outbreak "unacceptable" just days after the tenth death linked to the outbreak was recorded in New York. Fifty-nine people have been hospitalized across 19 states related to the crisis.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Justice, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) wrote a letter on Thursday calling for agencies to collaborate to determine whether Boar's Head should face criminal charges.

"It is unacceptable that Boar’s Head did not take sufficient action to rectify these conditions that resulted in repeated violations for similar issues,” the Democrats wrote in their letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The time for action is long overdue, and we urge your agencies to work together to seek immediate justice for impacted consumers and to prevent this from happening again.”

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BOAR'S HEAD'S LISTERIA OUTBREAK

The Board's Head factory in Jarratt, Virginia was closed indefinitely last week after an investigation found their production process was the reason for the widespread outbreak. The company announced they would be implementing a worldwide food safety program.

The USDA was aware of the outdated practices after performing inspections in September and October 2022, reporting that the facility had insects, mold, “blood in puddles on the floor,” and terrible facilities with holes in the walls, rusty equipment, dripping condensation, and product residue on surfaces. Facility management was told to take immediate corrective action.

The factory hired a new head of sanitation in January 2023, Terrence Boyce, who told ABC 8 News that the cleaning practices in Boar's Head were outdated.

“As I tried to establish different ways of cleaning, there was a lot of pushback,” Boyce said. “Pushback on old methodology, things they used to do that nobody does anymore … If you push against management, I think you become a target.”

Boyce said the pushback led to controversy that ended in him being terminated from his position after holding the job for only eight months.

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The listeria outbreak has been deemed the largest outbreak in the nation since the cantaloupe listeria outbreak in 2011, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention . Deaths have occurred in New York, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, South Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, and New Jersey. It can take up to 10 weeks for symptoms to occur, meaning hospitalizations and deaths are likely to continue.

Symptoms of listera can consist of fevers, muscle aches and fatigue, while an infection can cause a stiff neck, headaches, confusion or seizures.The CDC continues to urge consumers to check their food and ensure it does not belong with the recall products, which are labeled “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” and have sell-buy dates of Oct. 2024.