Another Congress member steps up to ask for investigation into Boar’s Head Listeria Outbreak

Fourth District Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan sent a letter today to Larry Helfant, the Chief Operating Officer, and to Jeff Szymanski, the plant manager in Jarratt.

The deli meat contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for nine deaths and 57 hospitalizations across the country, and health officials continue to monitor for more deaths and hospitalizations linked to Boar’s Head products.

Boar’s Head recalled more than 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products from the Greensville County plant in July after it was discovered as the source of the deadly strain of bacteria.

Recently released inspection records show repeated violations and hazardous health conditions at the facility. Issues documented in the reports include meat build-up on equipment, overspray on walls, pieces of meat on the floor, blood in puddles on the floor, rancid odors, flies, gnats, cobwebs, green mold and black mold on walls.

“I am particularly concerned that this outbreak follows a pattern of unacceptable conditions at the Jarratt facility. Noncompliance records issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service show a history of workplace hazards and food safety issues,” wrote McClellan.

“These violations include meat residue and debris on food contact surfaces, clogged drains and standing water, blood on the floor and black mold,” she continued.

In her letter, McClellan specifically asked Boar’s Head leadership to answer the following questions: 

• When did management first become aware of the Listeria risk at the Jarratt facility? Why was action not taken earlier to prevent a widespread outbreak?
• What processes were in place to control the risk of food contamination by Listeria and other pathogens at the Jarratt facility?
• After the failures that resulted in this devastating outbreak, what additional safeguards will be implemented moving forward?
• Why did many of the violations cited in FSIS noncompliance records continue to occur repeatedly over several months? Why were permanent corrective measures not taken?
• In the months leading up to the Listeria outbreak, were FSIS inspectors present at the Jarratt facility at least once per each eight-hour shift, as required by federal food safety regulations?
• Since Listeria infections can take up to 10 weeks to become apparent, what steps will Boar’s Head take to ensure the public is aware of the ongoing risk?

McClellan has also requested additional information from USDA regarding the progress of the investigation and next steps.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) has gone a step farther than McClellan – asking for a federal probe into the Listeria outbreak.

“The outbreak of Listeria in Boar’s Head meat products should have been caught, could have been stopped by the United States Department of Agriculture,” Blumenthal told News 12. “I want an investigation as to why those lax inspection procedures caused these deaths and sicknesses.”

The Listeria outbreak is the largest on record since 2011, according to the CDC.

The Jarratt plant has been shut down in the wake of the contamination. Boar’s Head officials are sanitizing the facility and said they plan to retrain employees before resuming operations.

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.