Ethermac Exchange-Boar's Head plant linked to listeria outbreak had bugs, mold and mildew, inspectors say

Inspectors with the Department of Agriculture found insects,Ethermac Exchange mold and mildew at a Boar's Head plant linked to a multistate listeria outbreak and the nationwide recall of potentially contaminated deli meats.

A total of 69 reports of "noncompliances" were filed by inspectors with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service over the past year at the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, according to agency records obtained by CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Inspectors found insects – alive and dead – black and green mold, as well as mildew, within the plant in the weeks before Boar's Head Provisions Co., Inc, issued a July 26 recall of more than 200,000 pounds of liverwurst due to potential listeria contamination.

Subsequently, Boar's Head expanded the recall to include every product made at the facility, amounting to about 7.2 million pounds of deli meats.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigation found that meats sliced at deli counters, including Boar's Head brand liverwurst, were contaminated with listeria and made people sick.

The multistate listeriosis outbreak, initially reported by the CDC on July 19, has resulted in at least 57 hospitalizations, including eight deaths, in 18 states as of Aug. 28, the CDC says.

The CDC on Wednesday reported five new deaths connected to the outbreak including the first deaths in New Mexico, South Carolina (2), and Tennessee.

The human toll:His dad died from listeria tied to Boar’s Head meat. He needed to share his story.

"We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families," Boar's Head spokesperson Elizabeth Ward told USA TODAY in a statement. "No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for those who have suffered losses or endured illness."

Boar's Head: USDA noncompliance reports

Among the "noncompliances" listed in the records CBS News acquired from the USDA:

• July 25, 2024: A flying insect was spotted near a rack holding 980 pounds of Tavern Ham.
• July 23, 2024: An inspector found what "appeared to be black mold and mildew" and rust underneath hand washing sinks.
• July 17, 2024: Three dead insects found in the Cure Cooler and several more, two of which were alive, in the facility.
• June 10, 2024: "Approximately 15-20 flies were observed going in and out of the 4 vats of pickle left in the room" (on the plant's "raw side"). Also found in other parts of the plant were "small flying gnat like insects were observed crawling on the walls and flying around the room," plus "a steady line of ants … traveling down the wall floor junction on the right side of the room" and 7 ladybugs, 1 beetle-like insect and 1 cockroach-like insect.
• February 21, 2024: "Ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor" in the Raw Receiving cooler. "There was also a rancid smell in the cooler."

Food safety is Boar's Head's "absolute priority," Ward said in her statement.

"As a USDA-inspected food producer, the agency has inspectors in our Jarratt, Virginia plant every day and if at any time inspectors identify something that needs to be addressed, our team does so immediately, as was the case with each and every issue raised by USDA in this report," she said.

Boar's Head is working to disinfect the plant and provide additional training to employees there, Ward said, adding that production will not resume until it meets "the highest quality and safety standards."

Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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