NBC News
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found dozens of violations at a Boar’s Head plant in Virginia — including cases of insects, mold and pools of blood — that have now been linked to a deadly listeria outbreak that has claimed nine lives, newly released USDA records show.
USDA officials found 69 instances of noncompliance with federal regulations at the Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia, from Aug. 1, 2023, through Aug. 2, 2024, according to documents obtained by CBS through federal Freedom of Information Act requests.
CBS was first to report the findings.
Nine people have died and 57 have been hospitalized after consuming Boar’s Head products contaminated with listeria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak has been reported in 18 states, with deaths occurring in Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, South Carolina, Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia.
On July 30, Boar’s Head recalled 7 million pounds of “ready-to-eat meat and poultry products” from the Jarratt plant after a sample of liver sausage tested positive for the EPA’s Listeria monocytogenes, which has been linked to the multi-state outbreak. The recall came days after an initial recall of more than 1 million pounds of meat and poultry products from the Jarratt plant. 200,000 pounds of Boar’s Head products.
According to the documents, the USDA reported a “heavy buildup of discolored meat” on a hydraulic pump at the plant and on the motor of an inspection line on Aug. 8, 2023, and again reported a “heavy buildup of meat” on the walls of a room at the plant on June 10, 2024.
Flies were found “flying in and out” of the pickle containers on June 10, 2024, and “small mosquito-like flying insects were observed crawling on the walls and flying around the room.” In the same room, the department reported a “constant line of ants” and “the presence of flying insects,” according to the documents. The same day, “seven mosquitoes” were also reported.adybugs (ladybugs), a beetle-like insect and a cockroach-like insect.”
Live and dead insects were found at the plant on July 17, 2024, and again on July 25, 2024, in a smokehouse aisle that housed more than 980 pounds of ham.
On January 9, 2024, a “black mold-like substance” was discovered at the plant, according to the documents, with some spots “the size of a quarter.” Inspectors reported four more cases of mold at the plant in June and July of this year.
Multiple leaks occurred throughout the plant during the months during which the inspection took place, including a puddle that showed “green algae growth” on July 17, 2024, according to the documents.
On February 21, 2024, inspectors reported “considerable pools of blood on the floor“in a refrigerator that also produced a “musty odor,” according to the documents.
A Boar’s Head spokesperson told NBC News on Thursday that the company “deeply regrets the impact this recall has had on the affected families.” The spokesperson added that food safety is the company’s “top priority.”
“As a food producer that is inspected by the USDA, the agency has inspectors at our Jarratt, Virginia plant every day and if at any time the inspectors identify something that needs to be addressed, our team does it immediately“as was the case with each and every issue raised by USDA in this report,” the statement said.
The spokesperson said all operations at the Jarratt plant have been halted and an investigation is underway into the “events leading up to this recall.” The statement also said the plant is being disinfected and employees are receiving additional training.
It was not immediately clear whether Boar’s Head would face any penalties from the USDA. for the reported breaches.
