Boar’s Head plant posed an ‘imminent threat’ years before listeria outbreak

Inspectors warned that a Boar’s Head plant in southern Virginia had “major deficiencies” that could pose an “imminent threat” to food safety after discovering rusted equipment, condensation dripping on the floor and green mold on the wall nearly two years before a deadly nationwide listeria outbreak, according to government inspection reports released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But despite repeated violations, the plant continued to operate. “The establishment failed to meet the regulatory requirements,” according to a noncompliance report, noting that plant management was “notified to take the necessary corrective actions.”

» READ MORE: From July: Boar’s Head expands recall to include 7 million more pounds of deli meats tied to listeria outbreak

Between Sept. 27 and Oct. 4, 2022, inspectors detailed food residue on the floor of the liverwurst room, live beetles in a hallway and thick product buildup on equipment, among other violations. “Dirt, screws and trash were observed on the floor of the production area,” the document said.

Deli meat produced at the Jarratt, Va., plant between May 10 and July 29 is believed to be responsible for the deaths of nine people and the hospitalization of dozens of others in the nation's largest listeriosis outbreak since 2011. Boar's Head issued a recall of more than 70 products produced during that time, such as ham, bologna and bacon, according to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Food safety experts say the pattern of violations reflect a failed food safety system and have questioned why the plant was not closed sooner.

“You see listings like standing water and dripping pipes. Those are listeria breeding grounds,” said Neal Fortin, the director of the Institute for Food Laws & Regulations at Michigan State University.

The USDA previously released documents showing inspectors had notified managers at the Virginia plant of one or more “noncompliances” on nearly 60 separate days between Aug. 1, 2023, and July 27, 2024. The issues cited included “dirty” machinery, flies in pickle containers, “heavy meat buildup” on walls, and blood in puddles on the floor.

USDA has since released more inspection reports dating back to January 2022, which were first reported Tuesday by the New York Times.

The USDA documents indicate that a rigorous food safety audit - known as a federal Food Safety Assessment - had been performed on multiple days in the fall of 2022. The agency did not release the full food safety audit. A spokeswoman for the USDA did not respond to questions about the audit or a request to share it.

Virginia officials are charged with inspecting the plant on behalf of the USDA, an arrangement the department has with more than half of the states.

Boar's Head did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company previously told The Washington Post that its plant team "immediately remediated" noncompliance notifications issued by inspectors and is working with food safety experts to conduct an "extensive investigation" into how its liverwurst became contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness, according to the CDC. Older adults, pregnant people and those who are immunocompromised are at high risk of the illness, which is caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. It can take up to 10 weeks to develop symptoms such as fever and muscle aches. Some of the recalled Boar's Head products have sell-by dates into October, meaning the deli meats may still be in consumer's refrigerators and on their sandwiches.

A USDA spokeswoman told The Post that the department is investigating the matter and “taking this public health matter very seriously.” This includes a review to determine the factors that led to the outbreak and what needs to be improved. The department is also taking a “holistic look” at Boar’s Head plants across the country.

Some food safety experts have argued that the outbreak represents failures at many levels, including among the management of the plant and the USDA, which did not shutter the facility.

“It’s honestly shocking the condition of the plant,” said Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University. “I cannot understand why they didn’t take action.”