Boar's Head Provisions Co. Expands Recall for
Ready-To-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
NOTE: NJDOH is requesting that during the course of
routine inspections, local health departments ensure that these products are no
longer for sale.
Boar's Head Provisions Co., Inc., a Jarratt, Va.,
establishment, is expanding its July 26, 2024, recall of deli meat products
that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The
establishment is recalling approximately 7 million additional pounds of
ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Whole genome sequencing results show
that a liverwurst sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested
positive for the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes.
This expansion includes 71 products produced between May 10,
2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names.
These items include meat intended for slicing at retail delis as well as some
packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations. These products
have “sell by” dates ranging from 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24. View full
product list. View labels.
The products subject to recall were distributed to retail
locations nationwide and some were exported to the Cayman Islands, Dominican
Republic, Mexico, and Panama. The products shipped to retailers bear
establishment number “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” inside the USDA mark of
inspection on the product labels.
The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified that a
liverwurst sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested
positive for L. monocytogenes. The Maryland Department of Health, in
collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, collected an unopened
liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak
investigation of L. monocytogenes infections. Further testing determined the
product sample tested positive for the outbreak strain. Anyone concerned about
illness should contact a healthcare provider.
FSIS is working with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners to investigate the multistate
outbreak of L. monocytogenes infections linked to meats sliced at delis. As of
July 30, 2024, 34 sick people have been identified in 13 states, including 33
hospitalizations and two deaths. Samples were collected from sick people from
May 29, 2024, to July 12, 2024. The investigation is ongoing, and FSIS
continues to work with the CDC and state partners. The CDC Food Safety Alert,
Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at Delis, will continue to be updated
with the latest investigation details.
Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can
cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects people who are
pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. Less commonly,
persons outside these risk groups are affected.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff
neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea
or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the
gastrointestinal tract. In people who are pregnant, the infection can cause
miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of
the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur in
older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated
with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like
symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical
care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’
refrigerators and in retail deli cases. Consumers who have purchased these
products are urged not to consume them and retailers are urged not to sell
these products with the referenced sell by dates. These products should be
thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. Consumers who have purchased
these products are also urged to clean refrigerators thoroughly to prevent the
risk of cross-contamination.
FSIS recommends retail delis clean and sanitize all food and
non-food surfaces and discard any open meats and cheeses in the deli. Retailers
may refer to FSIS’ guideline, Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria
monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens, for information on steps to prevent
certain ready-to-eat foods that are prepared or sliced in retail delis and
consumed in the home, such as deli meats and deli salads, from becoming
contaminated with L. monocytogenes.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to
verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are
taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.
When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS
website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact
Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc., Customer Service at 1-800-352-6277. Media
with questions can contact Elizabeth Ward, Vice President of Communications,
Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc., at media@boarshead.com.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a
question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a
problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer
Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at
https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.
This information has been broadcast to: Local Health Agencies; Local Boards of Health; Always Include (Monmouth County); Local Businesses;