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    Boar’s Head Listeria Outbreak Sparks Nationwide Food Safety Concerns

    WF Media By No Comments5 Mins Read

    The Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak has been linked to a deli meat processing plant in Virginia, where inspection reports revealed numerous sanitation issues, including repeated violations over the past year. The outbreak has resulted in multiple deaths and hospitalizations across several states. The CDC has warned that the number of cases may rise, given the 70-day incubation period for Listeria. Federal officials have urged consumers to avoid specific Boar’s Head products and have expanded recalls to mitigate further risk​ WWNO

    A listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats has cast a shadow over the nation’s food safety standards, leading to at least 57 hospitalizations and nine deaths across 18 states. Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first sounded the alarm in mid-July, the numbers have only grown more grim. Just days ago, the CDC confirmed six additional fatalities, marking the first reported deaths in New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

    Bill Marler, a seasoned food safety lawyer, has issued a stark warning: the worst may still be to come. Listeria is a patient predator, with an incubation period stretching over two months. Those who unknowingly consumed the tainted meats in July could still be harboring the bacteria, unaware of the threat lurking within. “We have to brace for more cases,” Marler insists, pointing to a potential wave of illness yet to unfold. His call for a congressional investigation into Boar’s Head echoes across the food safety community, a demand for accountability in the face of this deadly outbreak.

    The CDC’s investigation traced the contamination back to deli meats, including Boar’s Head liverwurst, sliced at counters and distributed far and wide. Once the link was established, Boar’s Head took the drastic step of recalling all products from its Jarratt, Virginia facility—a sweeping move that pulled seven million pounds of meat from shelves. The company, in a bid to contain the crisis, declared the recall “the right thing to do,” but for many, it was too little, too late.

    Behind this recall lies a story of negligence that should shock the public conscience. USDA inspection reports from the past year reveal a litany of failures at the Jarratt plant—bugs buzzing around, mold creeping along surfaces, and mildew staining the air with neglect. For Marler, who has seen his share of food safety horrors, these reports stand out as particularly egregious. “It’s the worst I’ve ever seen,” he told USA TODAY, his voice a mix of frustration and disbelief. How, he asks, could inspectors have allowed such conditions to persist?

    Marler, representing the family of a victim and two others who were sickened, is not holding back. He calls the situation “outrageous,” a betrayal of the public trust. “This plant seemed better at breeding bacteria than producing safe food,” he laments, questioning the role of inspectors who apparently turned a blind eye to the dangers. His words are a clarion call for a deeper probe, for an answer to the question that hangs heavy in the air: what went wrong?

    Boar’s Head, for its part, has tried to manage the fallout. On July 29, the company expanded its recall to include every product made at the compromised facility, an effort to stem the tide of illness and restore consumer trust. But the damage is done, and the scars run deep. The public is urged to check their refrigerators, to read labels closely, and to discard any products from the recalled batch.

    This outbreak serves as a chilling reminder of the fragile line between safety and disaster in our food supply. It underscores the need for vigilance, for rigorous standards, and for the kind of oversight that does not waver in the face of complacency. As the investigation continues, there is a collective hope that this will be a turning point—a moment where lessons are learned, and future tragedies averted. But for now, the story is one of loss, of questions unanswered, and of a community grappling with the realities of a system that, somewhere along the way, failed to protect its most vulnerable.

    Major Points

    • A listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats has led to 57 hospitalizations and nine deaths across 18 states, with cases expected to rise due to the bacteria’s long incubation period.
    • The CDC has confirmed six recent fatalities, the first in states like New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, and Tennessee, raising alarms about the outbreak’s spread and impact.
    • Boar’s Head recalled seven million pounds of meat from its Virginia facility after USDA inspection reports revealed serious hygiene issues, including bugs, mold, and mildew.
    • Food safety lawyer Bill Marler has called for a congressional investigation into Boar’s Head, citing negligence and poor oversight that allowed such dangerous conditions.
    • The public is urged to check their refrigerators for recalled products, emphasizing the critical need for stronger food safety standards to prevent future outbreaks.

    RM Tomi – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News

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