Boar’s Head Recalls Over 200K Pounds of Deli Meats Amidst Listeria Scare

Clear Facts

• Boar’s Head is recalling over 207,000 pounds of deli meat, including liverwurst and ham, due to potential listeria contamination.
• The recall was triggered when a sample of liverwurst tested positive for listeria at a store in Maryland, amid a multi-state outbreak of the bacteria.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) has announced the recall and is conducting additional testing to establish connections to the outbreak.

Boar’s Head, a prominent brand in deli meats, has issued a recall affecting over 207,000 pounds of its products nationwide. This action is a response to potential listeria contamination in their liverwurst and ham products.

The recall was initiated following the detection of listeria in a liverwurst sample at a Maryland store. This finding is part of a larger investigation into a multi-state listeria outbreak.

As of now, 34 people across 13 states have fallen ill due to this outbreak. All but one case has required hospitalization and sadly, there have been two fatalities, one each in Illinois and New Jersey.

Health officials suspect that the outbreak is linked to sliced meat from deli counters, as many of the affected individuals reported consumption of turkey, liverwurst, or ham.

The recall is not limited to liverwurst. It encompasses all of Boar’s Head’s ready-to-eat deli meats produced between June 11 and July 17, as well as other deli meat products produced on the same machinery during this period. These other products include beef salami, bologna, and ham.

The USDA FSIS made the recall announcement on Friday. They are currently conducting further tests to establish if the Maryland sample is connected to the outbreak.

A spokesperson from Boar’s Head has confirmed that the company is cooperating fully with authorities and diligently investigating the matter.

Customers are strongly advised to either discard any affected products or return them to the retail store. It is also recommended that consumers thoroughly clean their refrigerators to prevent any potential bacteria growth and spread.

Listeria, according to the Mayo Clinic, can survive in refrigeration and freezing temperatures, making it a particularly hardy bacteria to eliminate.

Listeriosis, the disease that results from consuming food contaminated with listeria, can be particularly dangerous. It poses the highest risk to pregnant individuals and their newborns, adults aged 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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