In the last month, nine people have died and dozens have been hospitalized in a listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats that has led to a recall of seven million pounds of its products.
The outbreak has been traced back to a Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Va., where federal inspectors had documented repeated problems. The inspections records show that they found black mold, water dripping over meat and dead flies.
The plant has been temporarily shut down in the wake of the outbreak. But reports of illnesses and deaths have continued to accumulate, prompting public health officials to issue more warnings to consumers to ensure they discard certain Boar’s Head lunch meats that may still be in their refrigerators.
Here’s what you should know.
What is listeria?
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can be deadly. The largely food-borne Listeria illness can be contracted through foods like contaminated deli meats and unpasteurized milk products, according to the Mayo Clinic.
People may also fall ill by touching a listeria-laden surface before touching their mouths.
Federal public health experts said the Boar’s Head case was the worst listeria outbreak since 2011, when tainted cantaloupe killed 33 people and hospitalized at least 143.
Anyone can become sick from the bacteria, but it is most likely to cause severe illness in pregnant women, adults older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems.
What are the symptoms?
In mild cases, listeria may cause diarrhea and vomiting that resolves within three days. If the bacteria spreads beyond the intestines, the illness becomes much more severe and may cause flulike symptoms, like muscle aches and fatigue, confusion, seizures and a fever.
It may take up to 10 weeks for people to develop symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You should contact a doctor if you have noticed signs of severe illness, like muscle aches and fatigue.
What foods were recalled?
So far, the only samples that have tested positive for listeria were from liverwurst processed at the Virginia plant, according to the company.
Boar’s Head has recalled every meat that was produced at the Jarratt plant where the liverwurst was processed. The full list of 71 recalled items, including ham, salami and hot dogs that were produced from May 10 to July 29 of this year, are posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website.
The recalled items were sold across the country and some were exported to the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama, according to the U.S.D.A.
Meats that are subject to the recall are marked “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” inside the U.S.D.A. stamp of approval on the package, which indicates that they were produced at the Virginia plant.
What if I still have deli meats in my refrigerator?
Anyone who suspects they have contaminated meats should check their refrigerator for items on the U.S.D.A.’s recall list.
Any foods on that list should be thrown away or returned to the store where they were purchased for a full refund, the company said. Any surfaces or items that touched the recalled meat should be thoroughly cleaned with hot, soapy water.
Public health experts described the listeria bacteria as “hardy,” meaning it is not easily killed and simple refrigeration will not banish it.
You may also choose to sanitize your refrigerator with a solution of one tablespoon of liquid bleach in one gallon of water after washing it with soap and water.
Retailers have also been advised to scour the surfaces of deli counters and slicers.
Are all Boar’s Head products affected?
Boar’s Head is emphasizing that many of its products, including sliced turkey, chicken, roast beef and cheese, are still for sale and were not affected by the recall. It said they were not produced at the Virginia plant.
Any products that are now on the shelves should not be part of the recall.
What’s next?
Federal agencies are conducting inquiries to determine where and how the bacteria found its way into Boar’s Head products. The company asserts that only samples of liverwurst were found to be contaminated with listeria, and said the problem was “limited to a single process” at the plant in Virginia, one of several the company operates.
Boar’s Head said it was working with top food safety experts to answer those questions and would not release meat from that facility until “it meets the highest quality and safety standards that you deserve and expect,” a company spokeswoman said Thursday.
