Boar's Head to indefinitely close plant at center of deadly listeria outbreak

The Boar's Head plant in Virginia at the center of a deadly listeria outbreak is indefinitely closing, the company announced on Friday.

Boar's Head also said it has decided to permanently discontinue the sale of liverwurst, the deli meat tied to the multistate outbreak.

"We regret and deeply apologize for the recent Listeria monocytogenes contamination in our liverwurst product," Boar's Head said in a press release on Friday. "We understand the gravity of this situation and the profound impact it has had on affected families. Comprehensive measures are being implemented to prevent such an incident from ever happening again."

At least nine people have died and dozens have been hospitalized in connection with the listeria outbreak, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases have been reported in 18 states, the CDC said.

The contamination was traced back to Boar's Head's plant in Jarratt, Virginia, and only affected liverwurst, according to the company.

"[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," Boar's Head said. "With this discovery, we have decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst."

The Boar's Head plant linked to the outbreak has not been operating since late July. Boar's Head said Friday it has decided to indefinitely close the Jarratt facility.

"It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers," Boar's Head said. "But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course. We will work to assist each of our employees in the transition process."

The company said it is implementing new food safety and quality measures to prevent future incidents. The measures include appointing a new chief food safety and quality assurance officer, a position the company said it is currently recruiting for, and establishing a Boar's Head Food Safety Council made up of independent food safety experts.

Federal inspectors found dozens of noncompliance issues at the Jarratt plant over a 12-month period ending on Aug. 2, according to FSIS records released last month. The issues included meat residue on equipment and surfaces, insects and mold, according to the records.

Boar's Head said inspectors performed "thousands of inspectional tasks" during that period, and that the 69 issues they identified were "immediately corrected at the time by our local plant management."

Boar's Head issued a voluntary recall for its Strassburger Brand Liverwurst, along with other products made on the same line, on July 25 due to potential listeria contamination.

The Jarratt plant also subsequently recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat and poultry products -- including meat intended for slicing at delis and pre-packaged products -- due to possible listeria contamination, according to a notice posted on the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website.

The list of recalled products can be viewed here.

The listeria outbreak began in May, according to the CDC.

As of Aug. 28, there have been 57 people who have fallen ill across 18 states, according to the CDC. All 57 people have been hospitalized and nine people have died, the CDC said.

States with cases include Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.

New York has the most reported cases with 17, followed by Maryland with eight cases and New Jersey with five cases.

Consuming food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes can cause a serious infection known as listeriosis. The infection can progress to invasive listeriosis, which occurs when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of severe illness usually begin one to four weeks after eating contaminated food but can present as early as the same day, or as late as 70 days later, the CDC said.

An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis annually in the U.S. and about 260 people die from it, according to the CDC. Those most at risk include pregnant people and newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems.

The CDC recommends those at higher risk of contracting listeriosis avoid eating meat sliced at deli counters unless it's first heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or until it's steaming hot just before serving. The agency also recommends that those with symptoms of listeriosis who have recently consumed meat sliced at a deli counter call their health care provider immediately.