Meat recalled nationwide as fatal warning issued

Hundreds of thousands of pounds of meat products are being recalled over fears they may cause food poisoning following a major multi-state outbreak of listeria.

Boar’s Head Provisions Co. is recalling various products after routine testing found listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal illnesses in some people.

In total, nine products are subject to the recall, including one liverwurst product, which was found to contain the bacterium, and eight other deli meat items which were produced on the same line and on the same day. Thirty-four people have fallen ill after consuming recalled products across 13 states, two of which have died.

The following products are included in the recall:

3.5-lb. loaves in plastic casing, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA.” The products shipped to retailers bear sell by dates ranging July 25, 2024, to August 30, 2024.9.5-lb. and 4.5-lb. full product, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head VIRGINIA HAM OLD FASHIONED HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10″4-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10″6-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head EXTRA HOT ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10″4-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10″2.5-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BEEF SALAMI” with sell by date “AUG 10″5.5-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head STEAKHOUSE ROASTED BACON HEAT & EAT” with sell by date “AUG 15″3-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head GARLIC BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10″3-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BEEF BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10”

In total, approximately 207,528 pounds of meat is being recalled. The recall has been given a Class I risk classification and the products have been branded “unfit for human consumption.”

Those who have fallen ill live across 13 states, according to the most recent FSIS release. However, the latest updated map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists only the following 11: Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Both government agencies are conducting a joint investigation into the outbreak.

Mitzi Baum, CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness, told Newsweek that listeria “can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea,” but that otherwise healthy people rarely contract the disease.

She warned that: “Listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weaker or compromised immune systems, such as infants, older adults, and persons living with HIV or undergoing chemotherapy.”

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has warned that anyone who has purchased any of the products should not consume them, and has urged retailers are urged not to sell these products with the referenced sell by dates.

“These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” the government agency said. “Consumers who have purchased these products are also urged to clean refrigerators thoroughly to prevent the risk of cross-contamination.”

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Boar’s Head Provisions Co. at 1-800-352-6277. Anyone that needs to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the FSIS Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day.