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Inside 'rancid' Boar's Head deli meat factory linked to biggest US food poisoning outbreak in a decade
A Virginia factory for Boar’s Head deli meats was found to have violated a laundry list of sanitation regulations when inspectors found mold, insects and liquids dripping from the ceiling.
The company suspended operations at the plant in July, but new records may shed light on what could have caused the ongoing listeria outbreak - the largest since 2011.
Boar’s Head recalled 7million pounds of meat at the end of July, from ham to liverwurst, after two people died and 13 people became seriously ill with an infection caused by the bacteria listeria.
The death toll currently stands at nine with at least 57 people in hospitals across 18 states as food safety experts call the records some of the 'worst set of inspection reports' ever seen.
Agriculture Department officials inspecting the company’s largest plant in Virginia found dozens of instances of ‘noncompliance’ with federal regulations around safe production practices in the past year, including several in recent weeks.
The company's Virginia manufacturing plant was found to have violated a laundry list of sanitation regulations
So far, nine people have died of infection caused by listeriosis and 57 people have been hospitalized
Food Safety and Inspection Service personnel toured the Jarratt, Virginia, plant in early August and uncovered a range of sanitation violation, including rusty equipment, mold on the walls, 'mud-like' substances and trash on equipment, meat residue on counters and equipment, and ‘obvious’ odors.
They described seeing black mold on the walls and ceilings ‘with the spots being as small as a pinhead and as large as a quarter,’ rusty knives and motors, meat residue splattered across countertops, slicers, and inspection lines, and an ‘obvious’ odor of rancid, gray-tinged meat.
They also found standing water and condensation throughout the plant.
While inspectors didn’t find evidence of listeria contaminating work surfaces, the bacteria is known to thrive in water and soil, as well as cool, wet places like factory drains.
Bill Marler, a Seattle lawyer specializing in food safety told USA Today: 'This is the worst set of inspection reports I have ever seen.'
The attorney said he expects to see more illnesses - and possibly deaths - as the incubation time for listeria can be up to two months - meaning people who ate Boar's Head products in July could still be at risk.
Mr Marler, who is representing victims of the recall, also said Congress should investigate the outbreak and how inspectors allowed the unsanitary conditions to go on for so long.
US agricultural officials say the plant will remain closed until 'the establishment is able to demonstrate it can product safe product.'
The above map shows the states where illnesses linked to the deli meat listeria outbreak have been reported
The company has pledged to address all of the violations cited by inspectors.
This was not the first time inspectors found sanitation violations at this facility. A February inspection found ‘ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor,’ evidence of employees returning to work without washing their hands, and a build-up of meat and trash on the floors.
Garshon Morgenstein, whose 88-year-old father died of a listeria infection tied to Boar’s Head liverwurst, said: ‘I think it is disgusting and shameful… I’m just even more in shock that this was allowed to happen.
‘For the rest of my life, I have to remember my father's death every time I see or hear the name Boar's Head.’
Previous testing of unopened products by state health officials detected listeria in a sample of liverwurst, prompting the sweeping recall.
Since the sample was collected earlier this summer, Boar’s Head has recalled more than seven million pounds of 71 products commonly found behind deli counters in grocery stores nationwide.
In that same period, nine people have died of listeriosis, the infection caused by listeria bacteria, while 57 have been hospitalized. The outbreak has touched 18 states.
Approximately 1,600 people in the US develop serious listeria infections, known as listeriosis, every year — and about 260 of those infections are fatal.
The bacteria can survive for a long time on countertops because it forms a biofilm that sticks to hard surfaces, making it more challenging to ensure food safety.
Boar's Head spokesperson Elizabeth Ward confirmed that all operations have halted at the facility and told CBS that no product will be released from the plant ‘until it meets the highest quality and safety standards.’
Boar's Head has recalled more than 70 products commonly found at grocery store deli counters nationwide
Ward added: ‘During this time, we have partnered with the industry's leading global food safety experts to conduct a rigorous investigation to get to the bottom of the events leading to this recall.’
The current outbreak is the largest since the one in 2011 linked to cantaloupes, which killed 33 people and sickened 147.
In addition to causing flu-like symptoms, listeriosis can cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
This was the case for Sue Fleming, 88, who lives with her husband Patrick, 76, in High Ridge, Missouri. Late last month, she ate a Boar's Head liverwurst she had bought from her local grocery store.
She was rushed to the hospital, where tests confirmed a listeria infection — according to a lawsuit she filed against the company.
Mrs Fleming spent nine days in intensive care and 11 in rehab, but claims she still suffers from neurological symptoms and is yet to regain her full strength.