What happened
Government food safety inspectors reported 69 "noncompliances" with federal safety standards at a Boar's Head deli meat plant in Jarratt, Virginia, in the year before it was identified as the source of a listeria outbreak that has left at least nine people dead and dozens hospitalized, U.S. Department of Agriculture records released yesterday show. Boar's Head recalled more than 7 million pounds of pork and other meat products on July 29.
Who said what
The problems, flagged on 57 separate days between August 2023 and July 27, included insects, "black patches of mold," a "rancid smell in the cooler," mildew, "blood in puddles on the floor," liquids dripping from the ceiling, "heavy discolored meat buildup” and "meat overspray on walls." Boar's Head told CBS News that food safety is the company's "absolute priority" and the Jarratt team immediately addressed "each and every issue raised by USDA in this report."
Food safety experts questioned why Boar's Head didn't clean up the repeated problems and the safety regulators didn't make them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called this the "largest listeriosis outbreak" since 2011, when cantaloupe was the source. About 260 people die from listeria in the U.S. each year.
What next?
The Jarratt plant will remain closed until Boar's Head can "demonstrate it can produce safe product" there, the USDA said yesterday. It can take up to 10 weeks to develop listeria symptoms, so "federal health official anticipate seeing additional cases," The Washington Post said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How China is battling the chikungunya virusUnder The Radar Thousands of cases of the debilitating disease have been found in the country
-
Deep thoughts: AI shows its math chopsFeature Google's Gemini is the first AI system to win gold at the International Mathematical Olympiad
-
Book reviews: 'Face With Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji' and 'Blood Harmony: The Everly Brothers Story'Feature The surprising history of emojis and the brother duo who changed pop music
-
Food may contribute more to obesity than exerciseUnder the radar The devil's in the diet
-
Is that the buzzing sound of climate change worsening sleep apnea?Under the radar Catching diseases, not those ever-essential Zzs
-
Deadly fungus tied to a pharaoh's tomb may help fight cancerUnder the radar A once fearsome curse could be a blessing
-
Climate change can impact our gut healthUnder the radar The gastrointestinal system is being gutted
-
Orthorexia nervosa: when clean eating goes too farThe Explainer Being healthy is fine, but obsessing over it is dangerous
-
Children's breakfast cereals are getting more unhealthyUnder the radar Your kids may be starting their day with more than a spoonful of sugar
-
A happy gut is a healthy gut. These 5 tips aim to help you achieve that goal.The Week Recommends A healthy gut is all the rage in wellness circles
-
Fly like a breeze with these 5 tips to help cope with air travel anxietyThe Week Recommends You can soothe your nervousness about flying before boarding the plane
