Tainted Deli Meat Killed My Husband, NJ Woman’s Lawsuit Says

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A lawsuit involving a Passaic County woman and a deli meat company will move forward, according to court documents.

In October 2024, Clifton resident Linda Renavitz filed a lawsuit against Boar’s Head Provision Company, the deli meat titan, after her husband died from listeria after consuming their product.

Renavitz’s lawsuit against Boar’s Head mentions two claims, one for strict liability and one for breach of express warranty.

On Tuesday, a judge dismissed Renavitz’s breach of express warranty claim, but allowed the strict liability claim to proceed.

The Lawsuit

According to the suit, Renavitz purchased Boar’s Head liverwurst from the Clifton Stop & Shop’s deli on May 28, 2024.

From May 28 to June 1, 2024, Renavitz’s husband, Robert, consumed the liverwurst.

On June 2, 2024, Robert Renavitz became very ill, and was hospitalized for three days before he died on June 5.

According to the lawsuit, Robert Renavitz’s death was due to listeria complications. The strain of listeria found in his blood was the same strain reported in an outbreak at a Boar’s Head processing facility in Virginia more than a month later, court documents read.

The suit adds that the Virginia facility was inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on June 10, 2024. Inspectors reported several insects in the facility, as well as a pink/orange discoloration on the walls, the suit reads.

It wasn’t until July 26, 2024, that a recall was issued for all Boar’s Head products, including its liverwurst, produced in the Virginia facility. It was closed in September of last year.

The outbreak would go on to hospitalize nearly 60 people across the country, 10 of whom didn’t survive.

Renavitz accuses Boar’s Head of selling the liverwurst “in a defective condition” while failing to provide adequate warning labels on its products. Additionally, she claims Boar’s Head made untrue affirmations on its website about the quality of its meats at the time of the outbreak.

“Strict food safety standards and protocols are embedded in our processes and procedures, which extend from our manufacturing facilities to our suppliers and partners,” Boar’s Head’s site currently reads. “Your trust is essential to us. We remain steadfast in our dedication to earning that trust and to setting a new industry standard for food safety.”

The lawsuit cites several claims, including wrongful death, negligence, consumer fraud, and recklessness.

Renavitz is represented by Francis M. Parisi of Corradino & Papa, LLC, a Clifton-based attorney’s office.

Boar’s Head is represented by the New York-based law firm Golenbock Eiseman Assor Bell & Peskoe.