The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently released a new report on the Boar’s Head multi-state Listeria outbreak that occurred in 2024. The report highlighted inadequate sanitation practices at the Jarratt, Va., facility operated by Boar’s Head. This outbreak resulted in 61 people becoming ill in 19 states, with 10 deaths and 60 hospitalizations reported.
Following the initial response to the outbreak, FSIS conducted a thorough review and identified multiple instances of noncompliance with sanitation operation procedures at the Jarratt facility. These instances included the presence of product residue, condensation issues, and structural and facility problems that could contribute to unsanitary conditions.
In response to these findings, FSIS began testing for Listeria at all Boar’s Head establishments and implemented plans to enhance inspection and sampling procedures related to Listeria in the future. The agency emphasized the need to verify Listeria-related factors at all ready-to-eat (RTE) facilities and improve inspector training and oversight of federal plants staffed by state inspectors.
Boar’s Head initiated a recall of over 7 million RTE products in July 2024 after a detection of Listeria in a sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health. Documents from the USDA revealed details of food safety protocol violations dating back to 2022 at the Jarratt facility, with 69 instances of noncompliance reported between August 2023 and August 2024.
The USDA categorized the Jarratt facility as an “imminent threat” before the outbreak, prompting Boar’s Head to indefinitely close its Virginia processing plant where the recalled products were manufactured. In response to the outbreak, Boar’s Head formed a Food Safety Council comprised of independent food experts to assist in implementing improved food safety programs.
The agency’s report underscored the need for a comprehensive review of its processes and procedures related to Listeria and outlined key areas for improvement, including sampling, inspector training, oversight of federal plants, and regulatory policies. FSIS emphasized the importance of enhancing its approach to Listeria to prevent future outbreaks and ensure the safety of RTE products.
Overall, the Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak serves as a cautionary tale of the importance of stringent sanitation practices and regulatory oversight in the food industry. By learning from this incident and implementing necessary improvements, both government agencies and food manufacturers can work together to prevent similar outbreaks in the future and protect public health.