Boar’s Head plant posed ‘imminent threat’ 2 years before deadly listeria outbreak

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released reports that showed inspectors warned the Boar’s Head plant in Virginia posed an “imminent threat” two years before the recent deadly listeria outbreak.

Two rounds of inspection documents were released by the USDA after a listeria outbreak originated at Boar’s Head’s Jarratt, Va., plant. The first batch of documents cover from August 2023 to August 2024, and the most recently released documents date back to 2022. The New York Times reported Tuesday on the release of inspection reports.

The documents show the plant had rusted equipment, product buildup, condensation dripping on the floor and green mold on the wall. In fall 2022, inspectors noted there were live beetles in a hallway, among other violations such as dirt, screws and trash in the production area. The report cites dirty machinery, flies and blood in puddles on the floor.

Despite inspection reports noting these issues and the company being informed of the problems, the plant continued to operate and process its products.

A spokesperson for Boar’s Head said the inspectors’ finding of an imminent threat in 2022 was not followed with any enforcement action after the USDA reviewed the results of testing, records and observations, The New York Times reported.

Production at the meat processing plant has been temporarily stopped. Boar’s Head recalled 7 million pounds of products after reports of a listeria outbreak.

At least nine people died and more than 60 were sickened by the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

At the time of the outbreak, Boar’s Head said it is committed and dedicated to “consistently meeting the high quality and safety standards you deserve and expect.” A spokesperson told the Times that company leaders “deeply regret” the impact of the outbreak.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said it was investigating both the listeria outbreak and conditions at Boar’s Head establishments nationwide.

“In addition to taking a holistic look at Boar’s Head establishments across the country, our investigation will include a top-to-bottom review to determine contributing factors that led to the outbreak at this particular facility, what needs to be improved, and if there are lessons learned that could be more broadly applied to ready-to-eat meat and poultry facilities,” an FSIS spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill.