Listeria-contaminated Boar’s Head products killed nine people this summer and sent many more to the hospital with a deadly illness. Now, consumer groups are scared that more contaminated products could lead to more illness.
The deadly disease has an incubation period of two months, meaning that many customers who consumed the tainted foods but never felt ill but still developed symptoms of Listeria poisoning soon.
Boar’s Head Listeria Outbreak
Earlier this summer, nine people died across 18 states, and 57 more people needed immediate hospital treatment.
The reason was millions of spoiled products from the supermarket giant Boar’s Head, amid the largest listeria outbreak in over a decade.
The Recall
On July 26, Boar’s Head recalled meats before expanding the list even further in early August.
Since then, it was found that the Virginia plant at the epicenter of the outbreak was inundated with black mold, mildew, and insects.
Food Safe Expert Weighs In
Bill Marler, a Seattle-based food safety attorney, said, “It’s crazy. Not only was this plant better at producing listeria than it was at producing meat, but also, what were the inspectors doing?”
He added that since Listeria has a two-month incubation period, some consumers who ate the tainted meat should expect to become ill in the coming weeks.
Bad Reports From the Boar’s Head Plant
Reports from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service at the Virginia-based plant said that inspectors noticed a trail of ants crawling up the walls, mold and mildew on surfaces, and “ample blood” covering the floor with a “rancid smell.”
‘This is the worst set of inspection reports I have ever seen,’ Marler said.
Dozens of Food Safety Violations
The report also noted that the USDA found 69 violations over the past year at the company’s $1 billion plant.
This number of violations is extremely high for a company with a household name, and worrying for consumers.
Recalled Products
Boar’s Head released a list of 57 recalled products like smoked hams, turkey, liverwurst pate, and olive terrine loaf, totaling more than seven million pounds of food.
The contaminated items were tied to nine deaths in 18 states, including Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico and South Carolina.
Biggest Outbreak in a Decade
The listeria outbreak in the deli meats marks the biggest food-borne disease incident to hit the US since the deadly cantaloupe outbreak in 2011.
More than 10 years ago, cantaloupe was found to be contaminated with listeria, which led to 147 people becoming ill and 33 deaths.
Victims of the Listeria Deaths
One of the victims included in the Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak was a Holocaust survivor, Hunter Morgenstein, 88.
Morgenstein regularly ate the liverwurst because it reminded him of his native Germany.
Listeria Can Be Deadly
In the case of Morgenstein, he consumed the Boar’s Head product before becoming fatigued and experiencing shortness of breath. He was rushed to hospital when he experienced shortness of breath.
Doctors noted that he became infected with listeria, which then developed into meningitis and, as a result, caused deadly brain inflammation. Morganstein died on July 18, just ten days after he was admitted to the hospital.
The Company Is Facing Several Lawsuits
Boar’s Head was almost immediately inundated with lawsuits from sickened customers.
One of whom was Missouri-based Sue Fleming, 88, who sued the company after falling “deathly ill” when she ate deli sausage in July. She was rushed to hospital where tests confirmed that she was suffering from a listeria infection. She spent nine days in intensive care and 11 in rehab but claims that she is still suffering from neurological symptoms due to the illness.
Boar’s Head Makes a Statement
Boar’s Head quickly made a statement about the incident, “We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families. No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for those who have suffered losses or endured illness.”
Boar’s Head added that the Jarratt, Virginia plant at the center of the crisis has been shut down for cleaning.
