Boar’s Head cold cuts recalled due to listeria investigation – 95.3 MNC

A popular deli meat manufacturer has issued a recall as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investigates the manufacturer’s possible role in a deadly listeria outbreak.

In the United States, two people have died and about three dozen others have become ill as a result of the outbreak. Boar’s Head is recalling more than 200,000 pounds of sausage products, including beef salami, Virginia ham and bologna. All liver sausage products currently on the market have also been recalled.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has detected listeria bacteria in an unopened package of Boar’s Head liver sausage manufactured on June 27.

For more information and recall details, please visit: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co–recalls-ready-eat-liverwurst-and-other-deli-meat-products

This information is as follows:

Boar’s Head Provisions Co. recalls ready-to-eat liver sausage and other sausage products due to possible listeria contamination
Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc.
FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2024 – Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc., a Jarratt, Virginia company, is recalling all of the company’s currently commercially available liver sausage products because they may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The company is also recalling additional sausage products that were produced on the same production line and on the same day as the liver sausage and therefore may be adulterated with L. monocytogenes. The company is recalling approximately 207,528 pounds of product.

The ready-to-eat liver sausage products were produced between June 11, 2024 and July 17, 2024 and have a shelf life of 44 days. The following liver sausage products are affected by the recall (see labels):

3.5-pound loaves wrapped in plastic or cut into various weight packages in delis, labeled “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA.” Products shipped to retailers will have best-before dates of July 25, 2024, through August 30, 2024, printed on the side of the package.
The other ready-to-eat sausage products were produced on June 27, 2024. The following sausage products are affected by the recall:

9.5 pound and 4.5 pound whole product or sliced ​​packages of varying weights found in deli stores containing “Boar’s Head VIRGINIA HAM OLD FASHIONED HAM” with a “Best by” date of “August 10” on the product packaging.
4 pounds or packages of varying weights, sliced ​​at delicatessens, with “Boar’s Head ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” and a “Best by” date of August 10th printed on the product packaging.
6 pounds or packages of varying weights, sliced ​​at delis, with “Boar’s Head EXTRA HOT ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” and a “best by” date of August 10th printed on the product packaging.
4-pound or packaged in various weights, sliced ​​in delicatessens, with “Boar’s Head BOLOGNA” and the best-before date “August 10” on the product packaging.
2.5 pounds or packages of varying weights, sliced ​​at delicatessens, contain “Boar’s Head BEEF SALAMI” with a “Best by” date of “August 10” on the product packaging.
5.5 pounds or packages of varying weights, sliced ​​in delicatessens, labeled “Boar’s Head STEAKHOUSE ROASTED BACON HEAT & EAT” and with a “best by” date of August 15th on the product packaging.
3 pounds or packages of varying weights, sliced ​​at delicatessen retailers, containing “Boar’s Head GARLIC BOLOGNA” with a best before date of “August 10th” on the product packaging.
3 pounds or packages of varying weights, sliced ​​in delicatessens, contain “Boar’s Head BEEF BOLOGNA” with the best before date “August 10th” on the product packaging.

The recalled products were shipped to delicatessens nationwide. Products shipped to delicatessens will have the establishment number “EST. 12612” within the USDA inspection mark on the product labels.

The issue was discovered when 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 Department of Health, collected an unopened liver sausage product from a retail store for testing as part of an investigation into L. monocytogenes infections. Additional testing is currently underway to determine if the product sample is related to the outbreak. Anyone who suspects illness should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners to investigate the multi-state outbreak of L. monocytogenes infections linked to meat cut at deli stores. As of July 25, 2024, 34 ill individuals have been identified in 13 states, including 33 hospitalizations and two deaths. Samples from ill individuals were collected from May 29, 2024, through July 12, 2024. For more information, see the CDC’s Notice of Investigation, “Listeria Outbreak Associated with Meat Cut at Deli Stores.” The investigation is ongoing and FSIS continues to work with CDC and state partners.

Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects pregnant women, people over 65, and people with weakened immune systems. Less commonly, people outside these risk groups are also affected.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle pain, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and cramps, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, older adults and people with weakened immune systems can experience severe and sometimes fatal infections. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. People in high-risk groups who develop flu-like symptoms within two months of eating contaminated food should seek medical attention and inform the doctor about eating the contaminated food.

FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ refrigerators and in retail deli counters. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them, and retailers are urged not to sell these products with their advertised best-before dates. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. Consumers who have purchased these products are also urged to thoroughly clean their refrigerators to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.

FSIS recommends that delicatessens clean and disinfect all food and nonfood surfaces and discard open meats and cheeses in the deli department. Retailers may consult the FSIS Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens for information on measures to prevent L. monocytogenes contamination of certain ready-to-eat foods prepared in deli stores or sliced ​​and consumed at home, such as deli meats and deli salads.

FSIS regularly conducts recall effectiveness reviews to ensure that recalling companies are notifying their customers of the recall and that steps are being taken to ensure that the product is no longer available to consumers. Once the retail distribution list(s) are available, they will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. Customer Service at 1-800-352-6277. Members of the media with questions may contact Elizabeth Ward, Vice President of Communications, Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc., at [email protected].

Consumers with food safety questions can call the USDA’s toll-free Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or email a question to [email protected]. Consumers who need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product can access the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.