• Posted September 18, 2025

Boar’s Head Faces Pressure From Congress Over Plans to Reopen After Listeria Deaths

Federal officials are raising concerns about whether a Virginia Boar’s Head deli meat plant, linked to last year’s deadly listeria outbreak, is ready to safely reopen.

In a letter sent Monday, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and nine other Democrats asked Boar’s Head officials to appear before the Congressional Food Safety Caucus to explain what they called “a repeated pattern of food safety negligence that jeopardized Americans’ public health," The Associated Press reported.

The facility, in Jarratt, Virginia, was shut down after listeria-contaminated liverwurst killed 10 people, sickened dozens more, and led to a recall of more than 7 million pounds of deli meat. 

Federal officials later blamed “systemic problems” at the plant.

Although the U.S. Agriculture Department lifted the suspension in July, the facility will face at least 90 days of heightened monitoring by federal inspectors once it reopens, according to The AP.

Meanwhile, The Associated Press obtained records showing sanitation lapses at Boar’s Head sites in Arkansas, Indiana and another Virginia plant. 

Inspectors found blocked drains filled with meat, condensation dripping from ceilings, residue left on equipment and staff skipping hygiene rules.

“It is appalling that Boar’s Head is encountering similar issues at other facilities of theirs,” the letter stated. “This information leaves us less than confident that the facility in Jarratt, Virginia, is prepared to reopen safely.”

Boar's Head defended its safety record, noting the Jarratt outbreak was the first of its kind in the company’s 120-year history.

“We moved quickly, aggressively and decisively in close collaboration with regulators and leading food safety experts to identify the root cause of the problem and implement enhancements to our food manufacturing nationwide to prevent something like this from ever happening again," the company said.

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more about the risks posed by listeria.

SOURCE: The Associated Press, Sept. 15, 2025