Virginia
Mold, bugs found at Va. Boar’s Head facility tied to listeria outbreak

A USDA report cited issues including “dirty” machinery, flies in pickle containers and “heavy meat buildup” on walls.


Shelves sit empty where Boar's Head meats are usually displayed at a Safeway store in San Anselmo, Calif., on July 31. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

By Joe Heim, Rachel Roubein and Jenna Portnoy
August 29, 2024 at 7:11 p.m. EDT

The Boar’s Head plant in southern Virginia at the epicenter of a deadly nationwide listeria outbreak was regularly cited for violations in the past year, including the presence of mold, mildew, insects and a “rancid smell,” according to reports by government inspectors.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports, reviewed by The Washington Post, show that inspectors notified managers at the plant of one or more “noncompliances” on 57 separate days between Aug. 1, 2023, and July 27, 2024. Among the issues cited were “dirty” machinery, flies in pickle containers, “heavy meat buildup” on walls, blood in puddles on the floor, and multiple instances of leaking pipes, clogged drains and heavy dust buildup in certain areas. … The USDA noncompliance citations were first reported by CBS News.

Deli meat produced at the Jarratt, Va., facility between May 10 and July 29 is now believed to be responsible for the deaths of nine people and the hospitalization of dozens of others. The company issued a recall July 29 of everything produced at the Jarratt location in that time frame. At least 7 million pounds of more than 70 products, including ham, bologna, bacon and frankfurters, are part of the recall, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA.

It is the largest listeriosis outbreak since one in 2011 tied to cantaloupe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. Inspections at the Jarratt facility have been suspended, according to the USDA, and the facility will remain closed “until the establishment is able to demonstrate it can produce safe product.”

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Niha Masih contributed to this report.

By Joe Heim
Joe Heim joined The Washington Post in 1999. He is a staff writer for the Metro section. Twitter

By Rachel Roubein
Rachel Roubein is a national health-care reporter for The Washington Post and author of The Health 202 newsletter, a daily morning tipsheet focused on health policy and politics. Twitter

By Jenna Portnoy
Jenna Portnoy is the local health reporter for The Washington Post. She previously covered members of Congress from the greater Washington region and worked in the Richmond bureau. Before joining The Post, she worked for the Newark Star-Ledger in her home state, as well as the Allentown Morning Call and Philadelphia City Paper. Twitter