USDA documented bugs, slime at Boar’s Head plants, records show

Government inspectors have documented unsanitary conditions at several Boar’s Head deli plants, not just the plant that was arrested last year, after a deadly outbreak of listeria poisoningfederal records show.

Recently published reports on the Boar’s Head mills in New Castle, Indiana; Town of Forrest, Arkansas; and Petersburg, Virginia, described multiple cases of meat and grease residue left on equipment and walls, condensation drops falling on food, mold, insects and other problems dating back about six years. Last May, an inspector noted “general dirt” in a room at the Indiana plant.

The United States Department of Agriculture published the inspection records in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from the Associated Press and other news organizations.

The problems documented at the three plants echo some of the violations found at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant related to the food poisoning outbreak. Recently published reports describe:

— Equipment “covered in meat scraps” in 2019.

— “Dry crusted meat from the day before’s production” and “dark, stinking residue” left in 2020.

— A door covered in “dried meat juices and filth” in 2021.

— Green mold and peeling paint in 2022.

— “Unidentified slime” and “an abundance of insects” in 2023.

— A puddle of “blood, debris and waste” in 2024.

Boar’s Head officials said in an email Monday that the documented violations at the three plants “do not meet our high standards.” The company’s remaining plants continue to operate under normal USDA supervision, they added. The Sarasota, Fla.-based company has for decades billed itself as a leading purveyor of cured meats and cheeses, heralding “excellence in every bite.”

Records from a fourth Boar’s Head plant in New Holland, Michigan, do not show similar problems.

Boar’s Head stopped making liverwurst and closed its Jarratt, Va., plant in September after listeria poisoning linked to the product sickened more than 60 people in 19 states, 10 of whom died.

Maryland health officials initially discovered listeria contamination in an unopened package of liverwurst. The company recalled more than 7 million books of ready-to-eat deli meats and poultry sold throughout the country. About 2.6 million pounds were ultimately recovered, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The conditions revealed at Boar’s Head’s other plants are “really concerning,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group.

“It’s reasonable that some people decide not to eat cured meats,” he said. “Companies like Boar’s Head should earn consumers’ trust.”

Boar’s Head faces several lawsuits related to the outbreak.

“It makes me extremely angry and sad,” said Garett Dorman, whose mother, Linda Dorman, 73, of Oxford, Pa., died in July after eating boar liver sausage. She had cancer and liverwurst was one of the few foods she ate, he said. He is suing the company, according to court documents filed by Marler Clark, a Seattle law firm.

“I believe Boar’s Head needs to completely revamp its program across all of its facilities,” Dorman said in an email. “Boar’s Head must make the well-being of the population its top priority. »

Lawmakers including Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro have sharply criticized USDA officials for failing to take stronger action against the company, despite documenting repeated problems. The USDA Inspector General is currently reviewing how the agency handled the situation. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether criminal charges are warranted.

“The new records released by FSIS should be considered by the DOJ, especially since they potentially reveal a broader systemic problem,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “These reports clearly show that there is a culture of non-compliance with critical safety and hygiene protocols. »

In a report released FridayUSDA officials said “inadequate sanitation practices” contributed to the outbreak. Product residue, condensation and structural issues in buildings were key factors, the agency found. State inspectors working in partnership with the USDA had documented mold, insects, liquids dripping from ceilings and meat and grease residue on walls, floors and equipment. the AP previously reported.

USDA officials have promised new measures to control listeria in factories that make ready-to-eat foods, including expanded testing, updated training and tools, increased inspections, more product reviews, food safety and stricter oversight of state inspectors who act on the agency’s behalf.

Boar’s Head is hiring a “food safety culture manager,” according to Frank Yiannas, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official who now advises the company.

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