VA Boar's Head Plant To Reopen After Deadly Deli Meat Listeria Outbreak

JARRATT, VA — The Virginia deli meat plant linked to last year's listeria outbreak that killed 10 people and sickened more than 60 others is set to reopen in the coming months, according to an Associated Press report.

The Boar's Head plant in Jarratt closed in September, two months after the company suspended all production there when a liverwurst sample tested positive for listeria.

The discovery prompted a recall of more than 7 million pounds of deli meat products for possible listeria contamination. Since the initial recall, 10 people died and 60 were sickened in more than a dozen states.

In a statement announcing the closure, Boar's Head said it decided to close the Jarratt plant due to the "seriousness of the outbreak." The company also permanently discontinued liverwurst production.

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"Under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course," the company said. "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."

Meanwhile, USDA officials this week said they had “thoroughly reviewed” the plant and lifted the forced suspension on July 18, the Associated Press reported.

“The facility is in full compliance of the guidelines and protocols set for the safe handling and production of food and the serious issues that led to suspension have been fully rectified,” officials with the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service told the Associated Press in an email Wednesday.

However, documents obtained by The Associated Press through a freedom of information request show that Boar’s Head plants in Virginia and two others states were flagged for the same kinds of sanitation problems that led to the outbreak. The most recent report was in June.

Some of the issues reported in the past seven months, according to the Associated Press, were fat residue left on equipment and walls, drains blocked with meat products, and staff who didn’t wear protective hairnets and plastic aprons or wash their hands.

Before the Jarratt plant's closure, inspector reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that in the year leading up to the deadly recall, 69 reports of “noncompliance” had been filed with the agency’s Food Safety Inspection Service against the plant.

The dozens of violations in the plant that produces ready-to-eat meats included a “rancid smell,” mold and mildew buildup, “ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor,” and pooled water from leaks that showed green algae growth.

Inspectors said there was condensation from one leak dripping over meat products. After inspectors flagged the problem, an employee cleaned it up three times, but each time, “the leaks returned within 10 seconds,” inspectors wrote on July 27 after noting fans that appeared to be blowing the condensation onto uncovered deli meats.

Inspectors also noted both live and dead insects, writing after a June inspection, “Small flying gnat-like insects were observed crawling on the walls and flying around the room. The room’s walls had heavy meat buildup.”

Following the report's release, Boar’s Head spokesperson Elizabeth Ward said in a statement to CBS News that operations were suspended so the plant could be thoroughly disinfected and employees could be retrained in food safety.

"The company deeply regrets the impact of the recall and has made food safety its absolute priority," Ward said.

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