Deerfield-News.com-Deerfield Beach, FL- For over 55 years I have been eating their products. The recall due to listeria is not a good situation for this once stellar brand of deli meats and cheeses. The “Wurst” thing Boar’s Head has done is remain silent other than the CDC issuing warnings and news delivering the messages, their PR people and the company have failed their customers. Finally shutting down the tainted Virginia plant and now announcing no more “Liverwurst” which is the product associated with the original recall is not enough I do not know if I can ever eat their product again and I am not alone. I feel bad for the small sandwich and sub shops that have been loyal to their supplier and the once stellar untainted brand.
Boar’s Head and the Brunckhorst’s have failed their customers in the way they have handled what could be the end of the brand. Only on their own website, have they communicated to the public. They who advertise in many mediums including T.V and Newspapers and the Internet have remained too silent.
Updated: September 13, 2024
To Our Valued Consumers:
We regret and deeply apologize for the recent Listeria monocytogenes contamination in our liverwurst product. We understand the gravity of this situation and the profound impact it has had on affected families. Comprehensive measures are being implemented to prevent such an incident from ever happening again.
Since we implemented our voluntary recall on July 25, 2024, we have been conducting an exhaustive investigation into how our liverwurst product became adulterated. We recognize you want and deserve answers, and that you wanted them quickly, but we needed to take the necessary time to conduct an in-depth review and analysis of all our processes and procedures – not just at our Jarratt, Virginia plant where our liverwurst was made, but at all of our Boar’s Head Provisions meat production facilities.
Throughout this process, we worked closely with the USDA and state government regulatory agencies, and we thank them for their oversight. We have also partnered with the industry’s leading food safety experts to oversee this investigation. They have left no stone unturned at Jarratt. We can now start to share some of their findings with you and we are committed to sharing more as our work proceeds.
First and foremost, our investigation has identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst. With this discovery, we have decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst.
In response to the inspection records and noncompliance reports at the Jarratt plant, we will not make excuses. In the spirit of complete transparency, we are sharing with you the July 31, 2024 USDA Notice of Suspension received by our Jarratt facility here.
Given the seriousness of the outbreak, and the fact that it originated at Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely close this location, which has not been operational since late July 2024. It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers. But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course. We will work to assist each of our employees in the transition process.
This is a dark moment in our company’s history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry.
To prevent future incidents, we are immediately implementing enhanced food safety and quality measures. These measures include:
- Appointing a new Chief Food Safety & Quality Assurance Officer (CFSO), reporting directly to Boar’s Head’s president. The company is recruiting now and aims to have this new executive begin as soon as possible.
- Establishing a “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council” comprised of independent industry-leading food safety experts, some of whom have been assisting with the current investigation at the Jarratt facility. The Food Safety Council, which may evolve over time and as needed, will assist the company’s adoption and implementation of enhanced quality assurance (QA) programs and create a new standard for food safety in the industry. The council will serve as advisors to the new Chief Food Safety Officer and to the company as a whole.We are pleased to announce the appointment of our founding council members: Dr. David Acheson, Dr. Mindy Brashears, Dr. Martin Wiedmann, and Frank Yiannas, MPH.David Acheson, M.D., F.R.C.P., has a distinguished career in food safety and has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Acheson Group since founding the global food safety consulting group in 2013. Previously he served as a Partner and Managing Director of Leavitt Partners, where he founded and managed the firm’s food safety services business. Prior to his industry roles, Dr. Acheson served at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for eight years, progressing from Chief Medical Officer of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition to Associate Commissioner for Foods. His expertise in international food safety standards and risk assessment is invaluable to the council.
Mindy Brashears, Ph.D., is a leading food safety expert and academic. Dr. Brashears was the former U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Food Safety and is currently a professor of Food Safety and Public Health and the Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University. She has made significant contributions to the field of food microbiology and public health with her research on foodborne pathogens, prevention, and food safety education that have made lasting impacts on the industry and will be instrumental in guiding our council’s efforts.
Martin Wiedmann, Dr. med. vet., Ph.D., is a renowned food microbiologist and academic, who is a Cornell University Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety and the co-director of the New York State Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. With training as both a veterinarian and food scientist, Dr. Wiedmann’s programs focus on a comprehensive and interdisciplinary farm-to-table approach to food safety and quality. He has conducted extensive research on foodborne pathogens and their prevention, with notable insights into emerging food safety threats and cutting-edge technologies that will contribute significantly to our council’s work.
Frank Yiannas, MPH, is the former Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy & Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Mr. Yiannas brings a wealth of experience in regulatory oversight and public health. His leadership in implementing the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has significantly improved food safety standards across the nation. A renowned food safety expert, microbiologist, and author, Mr. Yiannas has also held food safety leadership roles at Walmart and Disney. He is a past president of the International Association for Food Protection and a past vice-chairman of the Global Food Safety Initiative, as well as an adjunct Professor in the Food Safety Program at Michigan State University. Mr. Yiannas’s vast experience in building effective food safety management systems through innovative ways and his founding work on food safety culture will be pivotal in shaping our food safety programs going forward.
- Creation of an enhanced companywide food safety and QA program. Our company’s goal is to develop an industry-leading program that addresses food safety standards and strengthens a culture of food safety throughout the supply chain. To be led by the Chief Food Safety Officer, this program will be developed in partnership with members of the Food Safety Council and other leading food safety experts in the field.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to our customers and to the safety and quality 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 high standards that you deserve and expect. We are determined to learn from this experience and emerge stronger.
Sincerely,
Boar’s Head
Updated: August 29, 2024
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?
Our company has always prioritized product safety and consumer well-being.Since we implemented our voluntary recall on July 25, 2024, we have been conducting an exhaustive investigation into how our liverwurst product became adulterated. We partnered with industry-leading food safety experts to oversee our investigation and conduct an in-depth review and analysis of all our processes and procedures – not just at our Jarratt, Virginia plant where our liverwurst was made, but at all Boar’s Head Provisions meat production facilities.Our investigation identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst. With this discovery, we have decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst.
Given the seriousness of the outbreak, and the fact that it originated at Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely close this location, which has not been operational since late July 2024.
