Boar's Head expands recall to include 7 million more pounds of deli meats tied to listeria outbreak

By Nancy on July 31, 2024

www.wgal.com

JONEL ALECCIA

TONIGHT AS WE HAVE BEEN REPORTING, LOCAL DELI COUNTERS CLOSED AGAIN TODAY AFTER BOAR'S HEAD FINALLY CONFIRMED EVEN MORE OF ITS POPULAR MEAT PRODUCTS COULD BE CONTAMINATED WITH LISTERIA. ALREADY, THIS NATIONAL OUTBREAK HAS KILLED TWO PEOPLE AND SENT AT LEAST 33 TO HOSPITALS AND 13 STATES. THE CDC ALSO CONFIRMS TWO OF THOSE CASES DID HAPPEN HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS. HE'S TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH US BEFORE. HE'S BACK. DOCTOR TODD ELLERIN, DEPUTY CHIEF OF MEDICINE AT SOUTH SHORE HEALTH. YOU'RE BACK BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE TODAY. WE'RE LEARNING TODAY THAT THE LIST OF RECALL PRODUCTS THAT HAS GROWN FROM 9 TO 60, BOAR'S HEAD DID MAKE THAT CONFIRMATION TODAY. THIS IS CONCERNING WHO'S MOST AT RISK, RIGHT. MOST AT RISK AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, OVER 65 THE ELDERLY, IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AND PREGNANT WOMEN. BUT WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY. THERE WAS A SUSPICION THAT BOAR'S HAD LIVERWURST WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS OUTBREAK. BUT THEY BOAR'S HAD JUST CONFIRMED THAT THE LIVERWURST WAS YOU KNOW, WE DID THEY DID MOLECULAR FINGERPRINTING AND SHOWED THAT IT IS LINKED, IN FACT, TO SOME OF THE PATIENTS WHO WERE SICKENED. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY CLOSED THEIR VIRGINIA FACILITY THAT WAS MAKING THESE THESE PRODUCTS. AND WE'VE CLOSED DELIS HERE AGAIN IN MASSACHUSETTS OUT OF A PRECAUTION. IF YOU HAVE RECALLED MEAT IN YOUR FRIDGE, THROW IT AWAY, THROW AWAY EVERYTHING. WHAT IF IT TOUCHES SOMETHING? TELL US WHAT TO DO. QUESTION. YOU'RE GOING TO THROW AWAY THOSE MEATS, THOSE RECALLED MEATS, AND YOU'RE GOING TO THROW AWAY ANYTHING THAT IT'S BEEN TOUCHING. AND WHAT'S PROBABLY BEST IS TO REALLY DO A DEEP CLEANING OF YOUR REFRIGERATOR WITH PRODUCTS LIKE BLEACH. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DO THE WHOLE REFRIGERATOR JUST BECAUSE LISTERIA IS VERY HARDY AND IT SURVIVES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AT LOW TEMPERATURES, SO IT CAN SURVIVE AT, YOU KNOW, 42 DEGREES, WHICH MANY OF OUR REFRIGERATORS ARE HELD AT. SO FOR THAT REASON, IT MAKES SENSE TO DO A DEEP CLEANING. SO WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ATE? CAN YOU IMAGINE? SO YOU BOUGHT THIS DELI MEAT. YOU'VE YOU'VE EATEN IT. AND THEN YOU TURN ON THE NEWS AND YOU AND THEN YOU SAY, OH NO, I'VE EATEN RECALLED MEAT HERE. WHAT DO YOU DO? DO YOU CALL YOUR DOCTOR? AND THIS CAN BE SCARY. I JUST WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THEY'VE ONLY BEEN 34 CASES. OKAY. NATIONWIDE. OKAY. AND LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE EATING DELI PRODUCTS. SO THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WITH LISTERIA JUST WILL HAVE NO SYMPTOMS. AND EVEN THE ONES THAT HAVE SYMPTOMS, USUALLY IT'S CONFINED TO THE GI TRACT. THEY DO FINE. BUT THE ANSWER IS IF YOU HAVE EATEN ONE OF THE RECALLED PRODUCTS AND DON'T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, NOTHING TO DO. MOST LIKELY YOU'RE GOING TO BE FINE. IF YOU DEVELOP SYMPTOMS LIKE FEVERS, FLU, LIKE ILLNESS, OR GASTROENTERITIS. SYMPTOMS. NAUSEA, VOMITING, DIARRHEA. GO TO THE ER. YOU WANT TO CALL, THEN YOU WANT TO CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. GO TO THE ED. IF. YOU HAVE LIFE THREATENING SYMPTOMS. SIGNS OF MENINGITIS, CONFUSION, SEIZURES THEN YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE ED. I MEAN, I WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS MULTIPLE TIMES NOW, AND THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE GETTING BETTER. IT 9 TO 60. THAT'S CONCERNING. IT'S CONCERNING. BUT REMEMBER RECALLING THESE PRODUCTS IS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS SURVEILLANCE. YOU KNOW WE'RE DOING THOSE. THERE'S JUST TRACE BACKS. THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IS DOING TRACE BACKS OF ALL THE PATIENTS WHO ARE SICK TO SEE WHERE THOSE DELI MEATS COME FROM. WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY ALL ARE LINKED BACK TO BOAR'S HEAD, BUT THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. OKAY. EXCELLENT.

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Boar's Head expands recall to include 7 million more pounds of deli meats tied to listeria outbreak

The popular deli meat company Boar's Head is recalling an additional 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat products made at a Virginia plant as an investigation into a deadly outbreak of listeria food poisoning continues, U.S. Agriculture Department officials said Tuesday. The new recall includes 71 products made between May 10 and July 29 under the Boar's Head and Old Country brand names. It follows an earlier recall of more than 200,000 pounds of sliced deli poultry and meat. The new items include meat intended to be sliced at delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold in stores. Related video above: What happens when you eat recalled meat? A doctor explainsThey include liverwurst, ham, beef salami, bologna and other products made at the firm's Jarratt, Virginia, plant. The recalls are tied to an ongoing outbreak of listeria poisoning that has killed two people and sickened nearly three dozen in 13 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly all of those who fell ill have been hospitalized. Illnesses were reported between late May and mid-July. The problem was discovered when a liverwurst sample collected by health officials in Maryland tested positive for listeria. Further testing showed that the type of bacteria was the same strain causing illnesses in people. "Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to immediately and voluntarily expand our recall to include all items produced at the Jarratt facility," the company said on its website. It has also halted production of ready-to-eat foods at the plant. The meat was distributed to stores nationwide, as well as to the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama, Agriculture Department officials said. Consumers who have the recalled products in their homes should not eat them and should discard them or return them to stores for a refund, company officials said. Health officials said refrigerators should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to prevent contamination of other foods.Video below: What is listeria? And how to prevent illnessAn estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the CDC. Listeria infections typically cause fever, muscle aches, and tiredness and may cause stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Symptoms can occur quickly or to up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food. The infections are especially dangerous for people older than 65, those with weakened immune systems, and during pregnancy. Here is the full list of recalled items:Boar's Head BrandVirginia Ham WholeFiber Cappy Ham HalfHot Butt Cappy HamGourmet Pepper Ham HalfSweet Slice Ham WholeSweet Slice Ham HalfNatural Casing Cappy Ham HalfTavern HamExtra Hot Cappy HamRosemary Sundried Tomato HamSweet Slice Ham Baby HalfHead CheeseOlive LoafPickle & Pepper LoafLiverwurst Paté 8 oz.Bologna Thin HalfBologna Thick HalfBeef SalamiNatural Casing Pork & Beef Frankfurters GiantSteakhouse Slab BaconNatural Casing Beef Franks 8/1Canadian Style BaconAll Natural Traditional HamAll Natural Applewood Smoked HamGarlic BolognaLower Sodium BolognaBeef BolognaSpiced Ham Square HalfHot Smoked Sausage 1 lb.Skinless Pork & Beef Franks 8/1 1 lb.Beek Knockwurst 1 lb.Skinless Beef Frankfurters 4/1 8"Cocktail Frankfurters 12 oz.Virginia Ham HalfSkinless Pork & Beef Frankfurters 4/1 2.5 lb.SmokeMaster Beechwood Smoked Black Forest Ham WholeSmokeMaster Beechwood Smoked Black Forest Ham HalfSweet Slice Ham Service CasePeppenero Garlic HamRoasted PorkBourbonRidge HamFS Porchetta - Roasted Seasoned PorkTavern Ham - WholeMapple Rst Pork Loin BabyHkry Smk Rst Uncured HamFoodService Hickory Smoked Uncured HamBrown Sugar & Spice Delight Off the Bone HamSkinless Beef Frankfurters 6/1Skinless Beef Franks 12 oz.Kielbasa 16 oz.Natural Casing Beef Franks 8/1 14 oz.Natural Casing Pork & Beef Frankfurters 8/1 14 oz.Andouille Chicken SausageBratwurst 1 lb.Old Country BrandOC Cappy Ham Fiber 1/2OC Hot Butt Cappy-FiberOC Gourmet Pepper HamOC Black Forest Ham 1/2OC Swt Slice Smk Ham 1/2OC Cappy Brand Ham NC 1/2OC Tavern HamOC Rosemary/Tomato HamOC Swt Slice Ham Baby 1/2OC All Natural UNC HamOC Canadian Style Bacn JrOC All Nat UNC Smkd HamOC Habanero HamOC Seasons Ckd Fresh HamOC Beechwood Smokd Ham WHOC BourbonRidge Smkd HamOC Brown Sugar & Spice Delight Off the Bone Ham

The new recall includes 71 products made between May 10 and July 29 under the Boar's Head and Old Country brand names. It follows an earlier recall of more than 200,000 pounds of sliced deli poultry and meat. The new items include meat intended to be sliced at delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold in stores.

Related video above: What happens when you eat recalled meat? A doctor explains

They include liverwurst, ham, beef salami, bologna and other products made at the firm's Jarratt, Virginia, plant.

The recalls are tied to an ongoing outbreak of listeria poisoning that has killed two people and sickened nearly three dozen in 13 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly all of those who fell ill have been hospitalized. Illnesses were reported between late May and mid-July.

The problem was discovered when a liverwurst sample collected by health officials in Maryland tested positive for listeria. Further testing showed that the type of bacteria was the same strain causing illnesses in people.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to immediately and voluntarily expand our recall to include all items produced at the Jarratt facility," the company said on its website. It has also halted production of ready-to-eat foods at the plant.

The meat was distributed to stores nationwide, as well as to the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama, Agriculture Department officials said.

Consumers who have the recalled products in their homes should not eat them and should discard them or return them to stores for a refund, company officials said. Health officials said refrigerators should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to prevent contamination of other foods.

An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the CDC.

Listeria infections typically cause fever, muscle aches, and tiredness and may cause stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Symptoms can occur quickly or to up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food. The infections are especially dangerous for people older than 65, those with weakened immune systems, and during pregnancy.

Here is the full list of recalled items:

Boar's Head Brand