Government inspectors have documented unsanitary conditions at several Boar’s Head deli meat plants, as well as one that was shut down last year after an outbreak of deadly listeria poisoning, according to federal records. .
Newly released report from the Boar’s Head plant in New Castle, Indiana. Forest City, Arkansas. Petersburg, Virginia, described multiple cases dating back about six years to meat and fat residue on equipment and walls, condensation dripping onto food, mold, insects and other problems. Last May, an inspector noted “general filth” in a room at the Indiana plant.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the inspection records in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from The Associated Press and other news organizations.
The problems documented at the three plants mirror some of the violations found at a plant in Jarratt, Virginia, which was linked to a foodborne illness outbreak. The newly released report explains:
Equipment “covered in meat scraps” in 2019. “Dried meat from the previous day’s production” and “black, smelly residue” left behind in 2020. Doorways covered in “dried gravy and dirt” in 2021. Green mold and peeling 2022 paint. In 2023, “unidentified slime” and “large amount of insects”. “Blood, Rubble, and Trash” in 2024.
Boar’s Head officials said in an email Monday that the violations documented at the three plants “do not meet our high standards.” The company’s remaining plants continue to operate under normal USDA oversight, they added. The Sarasota, Fla.-based company has advertised itself as a leading provider of deli meats and cheeses for decades, touting “excellence in every bite.”
Records for Boar’s Head’s No. 4 plant in New Holland, Michigan, do not show similar problems.
Boar’s Head stopped making liverwurst and closed its Jarratt, Virginia, plant in September after liverwurst-related listeria poisoning sickened more than 60 people in 19 states, killing 10 of them. did.
Maryland health officials initially discovered listeria contamination in unopened packages of liverwurst. The company has recalled more than 7 million pounds of precooked deli meats and poultry sold across the United States. Approximately 2.6 million pounds were ultimately recovered, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The conditions uncovered at other Boar’s Head plants are “very concerning,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group.
“It’s understandable that some people don’t want to eat deli meat,” he says. “Companies like Boar’s Head need to earn the trust of consumers.”
Boar’s Head is facing multiple lawsuits related to the outbreak.
“This makes me very angry and sad,” said Garrett Dorman of Oxford, Pennsylvania, whose mother Linda Dorman, 73, died in July after eating Boar’s Head liverwurst. Ta. She had cancer and liverwurst was one of the few foods she could eat. He is suing the company, according to court documents filed by Seattle law firm Marler Clark.
“I believe Boar’s Head needs to completely overhaul its programs at all of its facilities,” Dorman said in an email. “Boar’s Head needs to put people’s welfare first.”
Lawmakers, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, harshly criticized USDA officials for not taking stronger action against the company despite repeated documented problems. did. The USDA Inspector General is reviewing the Department’s response to the situation. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether the criminal charges are warranted.
“The new records released by FSIS should be reviewed by the Department of Justice, especially as they may indicate broader systemic problems,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “These reports reveal a culture of non-adherence to important safety and hygiene protocols.”
In a report released Friday, USDA officials said “improper hygiene practices” contributed to the spread of infection. Officials found product residue, condensation and structural issues within the building were the main contributing factors. The Associated Press previously reported that state inspectors working with the Department of Agriculture documented mold, insects, liquid dripping from the ceiling, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. It is said that he was doing so.
USDA officials have promised new measures to control Listeria in factories that make ready-to-eat foods, including expanding inspections, updating training and tools, increasing inspections, and increasing food safety reviews. This includes strengthening oversight of state inspectors representing the Department of Agriculture.
Boar’s Head is hiring a “food safety culture manager,” said Frank Yiannas, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official who now serves as an advisor to the company.
