In July of 2024, the USDA suspended production at a Boar’s Head meat processing plant in Jarratt, Virginia and the company initiated two rounds of recalls. The first pulled back over 200,000 pounds of liverwurst and the other expanded to include over 7 million pounds, effectively everything produced in Jarratt.
Listeria is a unique bacteria because it can survive and reproduce at cold temperatures. It is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States. It can be spread by water, workers’ clothes and hands, and improperly maintained equipment. According to current USDA rules, any amount of listeria in ready-to-eat meats renders them unsafe for consumption.
I will spare you the gorey details of the conditions in Jarratt, but inspection reports filed since 2022 include rusting and leaking equipment, food product and liquids on the floors and in equipment, visible mold, odors, and insects. Despite these reports, Boar’s Head was allowed to continue operating the plant until the moment it was suspended in response to the outbreak
What on earth is liverwurst?
That question is relevant because the listeria outbreak was found to have started on a production line that is used to make liverwurst. Liverwurst is a soft processed meat made of beef or pork liver. It looks a little bit like bologna, because it comes in a long tube, and it is sliceable or spreadable.
In a press release, the company wrote, “First and foremost, our investigation has identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst. With this discovery, we have decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst.” They also announced that they would permanently discontinue making liverwurst.
On one hand, liverwurst is definitely not as popular as some of the other meats they make, so it was likely an easy decision, but what is it about the process of making liverwurst that increases the risk?
I didn’t find a solid answer, even though I wandered through some pretty unique discussion forums, but questions were raised about heating and cooling. Someone suggested a heat cycle was missed or maybe cooling was improperly handled.
To a certain extent, it doesn’t matter. The Jarratt plant had major issues that went well beyond the intricacies of one particular line or process. Although the recall started with liverwurst, on July 30th, Boar’s Head expanded the recall to all products made in the Jarratt plant: all products on all production lines.
Market Shifting Recall
The recall included meat that was intended for slicing in stores as well as pre-sliced products packed for sale to consumers, and it came with a warning: throw the product away and also thoroughly clean the space where the food was stored to prevent the risk of cross contamination. This warning applied to retail delis and consumers.
The National Supermarket Association recommended supermarkets take down Boar’s Head signage, and many supermarket chains closed their deli sections completely for the sake of safety.
The recall and the mounting death toll had a massive impact on consumers. According to an article in the Washington Examiner, Boar’s Head controls approximately 30 percent of the premium deli meat market. All deli meat sales dropped by almost 8 percent the week that the recall was announced.
What’s Next
Boar’s Head has indefinitely closed the plant in Jarratt, Virginia and implemented a company-wide food safety program. The company faces multiple lawsuits as well. There are at least seven pending, four individual suits and 3 class action suits.
But that may be the least of their problems.
Members of Congress have questioned whether Boar’s Head should face criminal charges because of their negligence leading to an “imminent threat reported in 2022 from unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the facility.”
Food safety is a massive supply chain issue. Ten people lost their lives, millions of dollars in lawsuits are pending, and an inspection system set up to protect the public failed. That is what can happen when something goes wrong in the supply chain.
