Calling it a “dark moment” in the company’s history, Boar’s Head expressed “deep regret” about a deadly listeria outbreak that has claimed the lives of nine people and sickened many others. Following an “exhaustive investigation,” the company said it is permanently closing its Jarratt, Virginia production facility responsible for the outbreak.
“Given the seriousness of the outbreak, and the fact that it originated at Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely close this location, which has not been operational since late July 2024,” the company stated. “It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers. But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course. We will work to assist each of our employees in the transition process.”
Since first learning its liverwurst product was contaminated, the company has worked closely with the USDA and state government regulatory agencies as well as partnered with the industry’s leading food safety experts. The investigation identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst. Due to the discovery, the company has decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst.
The company said it intends to use the outbreak as opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry. As such, it is implementing comprehensive measures to prevent such an incident from ever happening again. These measures include:
- Appointing a new chief food safety & quality assurance officer (CFSO), reporting directly to Boar’s Head’s president. The company is recruiting now and aims to have this new executive begin as soon as possible.
- Establishing a “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council” comprised of independent industry-leading food safety experts, some of whom have been assisting with the current investigation at the Jarratt facility. The Food Safety Council, which may evolve over time and as needed, will assist the company’s adoption and implementation of enhanced quality assurance (QA) programs and create a new standard for food safety in the industry. The council will serve as advisors to the new chief food safety officer and to the company as a whole. The founding council members include Dr. David Acheson, president and chief executive officer of The Acheson Group; Dr. Mindy Brashears, leading food safety expert and academic; Dr. Martin Wiedmann, renowned food microbiologist and academic; and Frank Yiannas, MPH, former Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy & Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Creation of an enhanced companywide food safety and QA program. The company’s goal is to develop an industry-leading program that addresses food safety standards and strengthens a culture of food safety throughout the supply chain. To be led by the chief food safety officer, this program will be developed in partnership with members of the Food Safety Council and other leading food safety experts in the field.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to our customers and to the safety and quality of our products. You have our promise that we will work tirelessly to regain your trust and ensure that all Boar’s Head products consistently meet the high standards that you deserve and expect. We are determined to learn from this experience and emerge stronger,” the company said.
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