A recall of Boar's Head products connected to a listeria outbreak was expanded Tuesday to include an additional 7 million pounds of meat products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.
As of Tuesday, 34 people in 13 states have been sickened in the outbreak, including 33 hospitalizations and two deaths, according to FSIS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Boar's Head last week initiated a recall of its Strassburger Brand Liverwurst due to potential contamination with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, along with other deli meat products produced at the same Jarratt, Va., facility that day, totaling approximately 207,000 pounds of meat products.
The USDA said whole genome sequencing of a liverwurst sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes, and the company was notified Monday, prompting the expanded recall.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to immediately and voluntarily expand our recall to include all items produced at the Jarratt facility," Boar's Head said in a statement Tuesday. "We have also decided to pause ready-to-eat operations at this facility until further notice. As a company that prioritizes safety and quality, we believe it is the right thing to do."
The expanded recall includes 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. Recalled products include meat intended for slicing at delis, as well as packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations, and have "Sell By" dates ranging from July 29 through Oct. 17.
The recalled products were distributed nationwide and exported to the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Panama.
A complete list of the recalled products is available on the Boar's Head website.
Consumers should not consume the recalled products, and should dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase. Consumers who discard the recalled products are urged to thoroughly clean and sanitize their refrigerators, freezers, or other surfaces in contact with the recalled products.
Listeria symptoms
Consuming food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that can be deadly, particularly for people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Sometimes, the infection can spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract, leading to more serious issues.
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