Deerfield-News.com-Deerfield Beach, Fl-Silence is golden except when it comes to tainted food products and a once stellar brand. As a consumer of Boars Head for more than fifty-five years, I am stunned by the corporate silence of BOAR’S HEAD.
Founded in 1905 by Frank Brunckhorst in New York the company has been an American deli staple for over 115 years. All of that goodwill can and will be lost if the company is not more pro-active in its current situation where customers have died and many other have become very ill. According to their website, Boar’s Head is now headquartered in Sarasota Florida
There is” No Excuse” for the conditions found in their plant that led to a listeria outbreak. The actions or inactions of the plant manager and management at Boar’s Head will have a long lasting effect on its customer base and on small deli and sandwich shops that sell their products. Locally Publix is still selling Boar’s Head at their deli’s.
HERE IS THEIR LATEST STATEMENT PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 29,2024-Frank Brunckhorst
Updated: August 29, 2024
To Our Valued Consumers:
We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families. No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for those who have suffered losses or endured illness.
We are conducting an extensive investigation, working closely with the USDA and government regulatory agencies, as well as with the industry’s leading food safety experts, to determine how our liverwurst produced at our Jarratt, Virginia facility was adulterated and to prevent it from happening again.
Production has been paused at our Jarratt, Virginia facility since we initiated the expanded recall in late July. We will not resume operations at this facility until we are confident that it meets USDA regulatory standards and Boar’s Head’s highest quality and safety standards.
Latest Update
Your safety remains our top priority.
This product recall is limited to only our Jarratt, Virginia facility. And, only Boar’s Head Liverwurst has been found to be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Since this incident occurred in late July 2024, we immediately paused production at our Jarratt, Virginia facility. We will not resume operations here until we are confident that all products from this facility meet USDA regulatory standards and Boar’s Head’s highest quality and safety standards.
We have been working together with the USDA and government regulatory agencies, along with the industry’s leading global food safety experts, to conduct a rigorous investigation to determine how this happened. We are very close to concluding our investigation and sharing our findings as soon as the USDA has reviewed them.
We have long held an unwavering commitment to keeping our foods safe with standards at or exceeding regulatory requirements. But, here, our best efforts failed, and we are deeply sorry. We are working to implement the appropriate actions at our Jarratt facility to prevent something like this from occurring again. While production is now paused at this facility, we are taking this opportunity to conduct disinfection, enhance procedures and policies where needed, and provide additional training to employees.
Boar’s Head has always been, and will remain, committed to the quality and safety of our products. You have our promise that we will work tirelessly to regain your trust and ensure that all Boar’s Head products consistently meet the highest quality and safety standards that you deserve and expect. We are determined to learn from this experience and emerge stronger.
The Recall Explained
- Initial Recall: On July 25, 2024, we recalled our Strassburger Brand Liverwurst because it had the potential to be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes. We also recalled nine other products made on the same line and on the same day as our liverwurst.
- Expanded Recall: Four days later, on July 29, 2024, once testing confirmed a link between our liverwurst and the outbreak, we took immediate and decisive action. In the interest of public health and safety, we voluntarily decided to expand our recall to include every item produced at the same facility as our liverwurst. We enacted this broad and precautionary recall totaling seven million pounds because we believed it was the right thing to do.
- Recalled Products List: The complete list of recalled products can be viewed here.
What‘s Not Recalled
Importantly, this recall only affects certain products from one plant (Jarratt, Virginia) ranging from mostly sliced fresh from the deli counter liverwurst, bolognas, and smoked hams to a limited number of pre-packaged retail sausage, frankfurter, and bacon products.
Most Boar‘s Head products are produced at other plants and are not affected by the recall.
- Boar’s Head items currently available today in food retail and foodservice outlets are not part of the recall.
- Boar’s Head Sliced Fresh from the Deli Turkey, Chicken, Roast Beef, Charcuterie, and Cheese are not included in the recall. Not Included in the Recall
- Deli Sliced Turkey
- Deli Sliced Chicken
- Deli Sliced Roast Beef
- Deli Sliced Charcuterie
- Deli Sliced Cheese
- All Boar’s Head Retail Pre-Packaged Sliced Deli Meats and Cheeses are not included in the recall.
Example of a Boar‘s Head Retail Pre-Packaged Sliced Deli Meat
- Boar’s Head Cheese: Boar’s Head Cheese products are not part of the recall. This includes all cheese products sliced fresh from the deli, pre-packaged, or from the specialty cheese case.
- Boar’s Head Charcuterie Items: Boar’s Head Charcuterie items are not part of the recall. This includes products sliced fresh from the service deli, as well as retail and grab-and-go sections, including Boar’s Head Charcuterie Duets, Trios, and Snacking items. (Please note that Boar’s Head Beef Salami under the Bologna category is included as part of the recall.)
- Boar’s Head Hummus, Spreads & Greek Yogurt Dips: Boar’s Head Hummus, Spreads, and Greek Yogurt Dips are not included in the recall.
- Boar’s Head Pickles, Sauerkraut & Condiments: Boar’s Head Pickles, Sauerkraut and Condiments are not included in the recall.
- Boar’s Head Maple Glazed Honey Coat Ham, Boar’s Head Branded Deluxe Ham, and Boar’s Head Branded Deluxe 42% Lower Sodium Ham are not part of the recall. Please note that some hams that were part of the recall are also produced at other facilities and are available for sale – these hams are not part of the recall.
What to Do with Recalled Products
If you purchased any of the recalled items before July 31, 2024, and have them in your possession, please discard them or return them to the store where purchased for a full refund.
More Information & Resources
- For a complete list of recalled products, please click here.
- For more recall information from the USDA, please click here.
- If you have further questions or concerns, please call our customer service line at 1-800-352-6277.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have a recalled item at home, what should I do?
What was the reason that the products were recalled?
A sample of Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Upon notification from the USDA, this item was immediately recalled from the marketplace, along with nine other items produced on the same production line and on the same day as our liverwurst.
Once our liverwurst was linked to the deli meat outbreak, we took immediate and decisive action. In the interest of public health and safety, we voluntarily recalled every item produced at the plant where our liverwurst was made. We enacted this broad and precautionary recall because we believed it was the right thing to do.
Can I consume Boar’s Head products available for sale today?
What is Boar’s Head doing to prevent this from happening again?
Boar’s Head enacted a voluntary recall of every item produced at its Jarratt, Virginia facility, where its liverwurst is made, in July 2024.
Since this recall, all operations at our Jarratt, Virginia plant have been paused. During this time, we have partnered with the industry’s leading global food safety experts to conduct a rigorous investigation to get to the bottom of the events leading to this recall. We are also taking this time to conduct deep disinfection, enhance policies and procedures where needed, and provide additional training to employees.
We want to assure consumers that no product will be released from this facility until it meets the highest quality and safety standards that you deserve and expect.
During the course of the 12-month reporting period, inspectors performed thousands of inspectional tasks at our Jarratt, Virginia facility – identifying 69 issues that were immediately corrected at the time by our local plant management.
Since our voluntary recall in July 2024 all operations at our Jarratt, Virginia plant have been paused. We are taking this time to conduct disinfection, enhance policies and procedures where needed, and provide additional training to employees. No product will be released from this facility until we are confident that it meets USDA regulatory standards and Boar’s Head’s highest quality and safety standards.
Here is what New Yorkers have to say after a recent N.Y Post story about Boars Head.
