In the wake of a listeria outbreak connected to deli meat that killed nine people and hospitalized dozens more, Boar’s Head Provisions announced it would indefinitely close a Virginia facility traced to the contaminated products.
The company — one of the nation’s largest producers of cold-cut meats and cheeses — took the extraordinary step to shut down the plant amid a nationwide recall of its meats and cheeses that continues with no end in sight. The facility, located in Jarratt, Virginia, about 50 miles south of Richmond, has been closed since July.
“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,” Boar’s Head officials said in a statement. “It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees.”
The plant closure is an economic blow to Jarratt: U.S. Census data from 2020 shows the town has 652 residents, 356 of whom are Black.
“We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers,” according to the Boar’s Head statement. “But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first reported the deadly outbreak among consumers of contaminated liverwurst on July 19, spurring the company’s recall of almost 208,000 pounds of the product a week later. Boar’s Head later expanded the recall to include all products made at the Virginia facility.
“Products sold at the deli, especially those sliced or prepared at the deli, can be contaminated with Listeria,” according to the CDC alert. It advised consumers that refrigeration does not kill it, but reheating meat to a high temperature before eating will kill any remaining bacteria.
A potentially deadly pathogen, food-borne listeria can easily contaminate food processing equipment, countertops, utensils, human hands and food stored next to it — in commercial-grade as well as home refrigerators. The Boar’s Head recall included meat distributed to stores and sandwich shops nationwide — including Walmart and Target, two of the nation’s largest grocery retailers.
Some of the tainted products have sell-by dates ranging from July 29 to mid-October and consumers have been warned not to eat recalled food products. The CDC also advises consumers who purchased tainted Boar’s Head products to clean their refrigerators after throwing away the product.
The Jarratt facility, meanwhile, has a disturbing history of unsafe food-handling practices. Between January 2022 and August 2024, the plant racked up 84 U.S. Department of Agriculture violations. Inspectors repeatedly found wet ceilings, mold, mildew, and vermin throughout the site, according to USDA data.
Although the agency labeled the conditions an “imminent threat” to consumers, subsequent USDA inspections continued to find food safety problems at the Jarratt plant. But Boar’s Head apparently did little to address the problems, alarming food safety advocates and triggering the recall.
