Inadequate sanitation practices at a Boar's Head facility in Virginia are being blamed for a multistate listeria outbreak last summer that killed 10 people and sickened 61 others.
A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service revealed multiple food safety violations, prompting calls for stricter protocols in meat processing facilities.
A month after the recall was initiated in July 2024, the FSIS released records showing 69 reports of "noncompliance" at the Boars Head's plant in Jarratt, Virginia in the weeks leading up to the recall. Among the findings: live and dead insects, mildew, black and green mold, and other unsanitary conditions.
In one case, inspectors found "meat and fat residue from the previous day's production on the equipment, including packaging equipment," according to the report. Inspectors also found multiple instances of condensation dripping on exposed product, as well as "cracks, holes and broken flooring that could hold moisture and contribute to wet conditions."
The inadequate sanitation practices allowed biofilm -- thin layers of bacteria, similar to plaque on teeth, where listeria can survive and grow -- to form and spread on equipment and other surfaces, the report said.
The plant had numerous violations but remained operational until its closure in September 2024.
The Boar's Head outbreak "points to the need for the agency to examine and enhance all aspects of its approach" to combating listeria in food production, the report noted.
Boar's Head has apologized for the contamination and reached a settlement in a class action lawsuit related to the outbreak. Spanning more than 19 states, it was the largest outbreak of foodborne bacterial illness since 2011.
The bacteria was first detected in liverwurst made at the Boar's Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia.
In July, Boar's Head announced a recall of more than 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold under the Boar's Head and Old Country brand names. The CDC said epidemiologic, laboratory and traceback data show the meats were contaminated with listeria and made people sick.
A total of 61 people were infected with the outbreak strain of listeria from 19 states, including: Arizona (1), Florida (3), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Louisiana (1), Maryland (8), Massachusetts (3), Minnesota (1), Missouri (3), New Jersey (6), New Mexico (1), New York (19), North Carolina (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (1), Virginia (4) and Wisconsin (1).
All but one of the 61 individuals were hospitalized, according to the CDC. One person got sick during their pregnancy and remained pregnant after recovering.
Ten deaths were reported, including one in Illinois, one in New Jersey, two in New York, one in Virginia, one in Florida, one in Tennessee, one in New Mexico and two in South Carolina.
The CDC noted that the true number of sick people was likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for listeria.
The CDC declared the outbreak over on November 21, 2024.