The Boar’s Head deli meat listeria outbreak is the largest in the U.S. in over a decade, surpassing even the notorious 2011 cantaloupe outbreak.
Expanding an initial recall, the company has now recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat, all linked to a single facility in Jarratt, Virginia.
This outbreak has already claimed the lives of several people and hospitalized countless others across 17 states.
The CDC has classified this outbreak as extremely severe due to the widespread distribution of the contaminated products and the vulnerability of the affected populations.
Listeria is particularly dangerous because it can thrive in refrigerated environments, making it difficult to control once it contaminates a facility.
Boar’s Head has suspended operations at the implicated facility and is working with federal health officials to address the situation.
The company has also issued a public apology, acknowledging the profound impact on affected families.
Despite these efforts, the scale of the recall and the seriousness of listeria infections have sparked widespread concern among consumers.’
Health authorities are urging anyone who purchased Boar’s Head deli meats between May and July 2024 to discard them immediately and to sanitize any surfaces that may have come into contact with these products.
The long shelf life of deli meats means that contaminated products could still be in consumers’ refrigerators, posing an ongoing risk.
How Was the Listeria Bacteria Outbreak Strain Identified?
The outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes in Boar’s Head products was identified through a meticulous investigation led by the Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department.
Public health officials collected an unopened Boar’s Head liverwurst product from a retail store, which tested positive for the bacteria.
Using whole genome sequencing (WGS), the strain found in the liverwurst was confirmed to be the same strain responsible for making people sick across multiple states.
This precise identification was crucial in tracing the source of the outbreak and initiating the recall of over 7 million pounds of potentially contaminated deli meats.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is continuing to trace the suppliers of these products to prevent further spread of the outbreak.
