Boar's Head recalls deli meat amid deadly multi-state listeria outbreak
Read below for full product details and where the affected items were sold.
Boar's Head has recalled several types of deli meats that may be contaminated with listeria.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Friday that Boar's Head Provisions Co. was recalling several products amid an ongoing investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into an outbreak of listeria infections linked to meats sliced at delis that have sickened 34 people across 13 states. Authorities say further testing is required to determine whether any recalled products are linked to this outbreak.
Details of Boar's Head deli meat recall
The Virginia-based meat producer recalled approximately 207,528 pounds of products that were distributed to retail deli locations nationwide, including all liverwurst products and "additional deli meat products that were produced on the same line and on the same day as the liverwurst" that could be "adulterated with L. monocytogenes."
Boar's Head deli meat recalled product information
The ready-to-eat liverwurst products were produced between June 11, 2024, and July 17, 2024, and have a 44-day shelf life.
Recalled liverwurst products include 3.5-pound loaves in plastic casing, or "various weight packages sliced in retail delis," according to the FSIS, and are labeled "Boar's Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA."
The products, which the FSIS said were shipped to retailers, bear sell by dates ranging from July 25 to Aug. 30, 2024. Sell by dates are printed on the side of the packaging.
Click here for images with full label details.
Additional ready-to-eat deli meats subject to recall
The recalled products bear establishment number "EST. 12612" inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.
The above products were produced on June 27, 2024, according to Boar's Head.
What prompted the Boar's Head recall
According to the USDA, the problem was discovered when the FSIS "was notified that a sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for L. monocytogenes."
"The Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of L. monocytogenes infections," the agency stated. "Further testing is ongoing to determine if the product sample is related to the outbreak. Anyone concerned about illness should contact a healthcare provider."
In a statement to The Associated Press on Friday, Boar's Head said, "We are cooperating fully with government authorities and conducting our own investigation into this incident."
Details of listeria outbreak linked to deli meats
The FSIS is currently working with the CDC as well as state public health partners to investigate a multistate outbreak of listeria infections linked to meats sliced at delis, USDA officials said this week.
According to the agency, as of July 25, "34 sick people have been identified in 13 states, including 33 hospitalizations and two deaths."
As of July 19, states involved in the outbreak included Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.
"Samples were collected from sick people from May 29, 2024, to July 12, 2024," the USDA stated this week, adding that "the investigation is ongoing."
In a notice published July 19, the CDC stated that many of those sickened in the outbreak had reported eating meat that they had sliced at deli counters.
"Investigators are collecting information to determine the specific products that may be contaminated," the CDC stated.
"Listeria spreads easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food," the agency added. "Refrigeration does not kill Listeria, but reheating to a high enough temperature before eating will kill any germs that may be on these meats."
Symptoms, side effects of listeria
According to the CDC, listeria can cause severe illness "when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body" after a person consumes contaminated food. Those at higher risk include pregnant people, those aged 65 or older, or anyone who has a weakened immune system, the CDC says.
"If you are pregnant, it can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in your newborn," the CDC states on its website. "Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill."
According to the CDC, anyone infected with listeria may experience "mild food poisoning symptoms" such as diarrhea or fever, and many recover without antibiotic treatment.
An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the CDC.