OAN Staff James Meyers
3:07 PM – Friday, September 13, 2024
Boar’s Head on Friday announced that it is “indefinitely” closing the Virginia manufacturing plant that’s been linked to the deadly listeria outbreak.
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“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 was shut down in late July, the company said.
The deli meat company’s Jarratt facility was linked to the meats sliced at deli counters, including Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, that started the largest listeria outbreak since 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
On August 8th, 57 people were infected with the listeria outbreak strain from 18 different states, all of those affected were hospitalized. According to the CDC, Nine people have died, one in Illinois, one in New Jersey, one in Virginia, one in Florida, one in Tennessee, one in New Mexico, one in New York and two in South Carolina.
“Under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course,” the company continued.
The Jarrant plant, where an estimated 500 people were employed, closed in July when Boar’s Head recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat and cheese that was made at that facility.
“We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers,” Boar’s Head said in the statement. “But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course.”
Inspection reports over this past year by each state revealed that USDA officials found 69 incidents of unsanitary conditions, including mold, flying insects, condensation and clogged drains, “rancid” odors and rusty equipment, according to the New York Post.
On July 31st, the USDA suspended the facility for failing to keep cleanliness conditions up to standard, according to a seven-page report that Boar’s Head posted on its website on Friday.
The company, which started 119-years-ago said, “This is a dark moment in our company’s history.”
Meanwhile, the company is facing multiple lawsuits from the families of lost loved ones and some of the victims who were in comas after eating the hazardous product and are still recovering from their sicknesses.
Boar’s Head announced that they will establish a “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council” that will be composed of independent industry-leading food safety experts, who have helped in the listeria investigation.
Furthermore, they will also serve as advisers to the new chief food safety officer and to the company as a whole.
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