Boar’s Head Closes Jarratt Plant Due to Listeria Outbreak

Listeria Outbreak Prompts Boar’s Head Plant Closure

Boar’s Head has announced the closure of its Jarratt, Virginia production plant in response to this summer's deadly listeria outbreak. The company, working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has been investigating the situation which has resulted in at least nine fatalities and over sixty illnesses.

Details of the Outbreak

This outbreak has been traced back to liverwurst products manufactured at the Jarratt facility.

• Temporary closure of the plant followed reports of listeria.
• Boar's Head has recalled approximately 7 million pounds of affected products.

In a company statement, it was confirmed that the difficult decision to close the plant indefinitely was made considering the severity of the outbreak.

Company Response and Investigation Findings

Boar's Head expressed that it is painful to impact hundreds of employees but stated that closing the plant was necessary. Their investigation revealed that the outbreak's root cause was linked to a specific production process, leading the company to permanently discontinue liverwurst.

Records from the USDA highlighted that the plant had past noncompliance issues, citing “imminent threat” conditions, which included rusted equipment, mold, and pests.

In response to these violations, Boar's Head has committed to enhancing food safety measures by appointing a new chief food safety officer and establishing a Food Safety Council with independent industry experts.

Boar's Head stated, “This is a dark moment in our company’s history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry.”