Extended recall following detection of listeria in a liver sausage sample and three deaths
Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc., based in Jarratt, Virginia, has expanded its recall of sausage products due to concerns about possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenessays a notice released today by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The recall, which originally took place on July 26, 2024, now includes an additional 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.
The expansion of the recall came after full genome sequencing confirmed that a liver sausage sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes. The expanded recall affects 71 products manufactured between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. These products include meat intended for slicing in deli stores and packaged meat and poultry products available in retail stores. They have best-before dates ranging from July 29, 2024, to October 17, 2024.
The recalled products, including 71 different products, were distributed nationwide. A list of the products can be found here. They can be identified by the establishment number “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” on the product labels, which are located within the USDA inspection mark.
The contamination was first discovered when FSIS was alerted by the Maryland Department of Health, which received a liver sausage sample that tested positive for L. monocytogenesThe sample was collected at a retail store as part of an investigation into a multi-state outbreak of L. monocytogenes Infections. Further testing confirmed that the product contained the outbreak strain. Consumers concerned about possible illness should seek medical attention.
FSIS is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners to investigate the outbreak. As of July 30, 2024, 34 people in 13 states have become ill, resulting in 33 hospitalizations and two deaths. The illnesses were reported from May 29, 2024, to July 12, 2024. The investigation is ongoing. FSIS, CDC, and state partners are providing updates on the CDC’s Food Safety Alert linking the Listeria outbreak to deli meats.
Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can lead to listeriosis, a serious infection that is especially dangerous for pregnant women, people age 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and cramps, often following gastrointestinal symptoms. Invasive infections can spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract, and the infection can cause serious complications, such as miscarriage or stillbirth in pregnant women, or severe infection in older adults and immunocompromised people. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics, and high-risk people who develop flu-like symptoms within two months of eating contaminated food should seek medical attention.
FSIS warns that some of the recalled products may still be in consumers’ refrigerators or in retail deli counters. Consumers are advised not to consume these products and retailers are strongly advised not to sell them. Affected items should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase. In addition, consumers should thoroughly clean refrigerators to avoid cross-contamination.
