Boar's Head announced Friday that it has indefinitely closed its Virginia meat processing plant and stopped production of liver sausage linked to a deadly multistate listeria outbreak that has also sickened dozens.
In what it called a “dark moment” in the company's history, Boar's Head said in a statement Friday that it would indefinitely close its plant in Jarratt, Virginia, where the liver sausage product linked to the outbreak was made.
The company said the cause of the contamination was a “specific production process” that only exists at the Jarratt facility.
“We deeply regret and apologize for the recent Listeria monocytogenes contamination of our liver sausage product,” the statement read. “We understand the seriousness of this situation and the profound impact it has had on the families affected.”
“We have made the difficult decision to close this site indefinitely, which has been out of operation since late July 2024. The impact on the livelihoods of hundreds of hardworking employees is heartbreaking,” the company said.
“We do not take our responsibility as one of the largest employers in the region lightly,” the statement added. “However, under these circumstances, we feel that closing the plant is the wisest course of action. We will work to assist each of our employees with the transition.”
This year's liver sausage outbreak has killed nine people and hospitalized 57. Boar's Head recalled its Strassburger liver sausage on July 25 over concerns it may contain Listeria monocytogenes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the company is responsible for the largest listeria outbreak since 2011, when more than 30 people died from infected watermelons.
The recall has been expanded to include 7 million pounds of meat, which the company said represents every item produced at the facility.
On July 31, the USDA issued a notice of suspension of operations at the Jarratt facility.
According to USDA records, the Virginia plant had dozens of violations, including reports of inspectors finding insects, mold and pools of blood.
Management staff recorded 69 instances of noncompliance with federal regulations at the plant from Aug. 1, 2023, through Aug. 2, 2024, according to documents obtained by CBS News through federal Freedom of Information Act requests.
According to the documents, the Department of Agriculture reported “heavy accumulation of discolored meat” on a hydraulic pump at the plant and on an inspection line motor on August 8, 2023, and again reported “heavy accumulation of meat” on the walls of a room at the plant on June 10.
According to management, the presence of insects was also a problem at the plant.
On June 10, flies were found “coming in and out” of pickle jars, and “small mosquito-like insects were observed crawling on the walls and flying around the room.” Management also reported a “stationary line of ants” and “flying insects” in the same room, according to the documents. “Seven beetles, one beetle-like insect, and one cockroach-like insect” were also reported that same day.
Since voluntarily recalling its products in late July, Boar's Head said it has worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state regulatory agencies and leading food safety experts to find out what went wrong and make improvements.
Some of the increased measures, according to Boar's Head, include: appointing a new food safety officer who will report directly to the company's president; launching a food safety council made up of independent food safety experts; and creating an enhanced company-wide food safety and quality assurance program, according to Boar's Head.
Gallup recently found that Americans' confidence in the government's ability to provide safe food in its food supply has reached its lowest level since 1999.
