Boar's Head Listeria Outbreak Prompts USDA Watchdog Investigation
The fallout from the Boar's Head listeria outbreak continues as new reports suggest that a USDA watchdog investigation has been triggered as a result of the infection.
The Associated Press reports that an internal investigation into how the U.S. Agriculture Department handled reports of significant issues at the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, which was at the center of the listeria outbreak, has been initiated by department authorities.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) announced that USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong is investigating the appropriateness of the responses provided by federal investigators and Virginia state inspectors to the dozens of reports received about issues at the factory, such as insects, mold, dripping water, and residue of meat and fat on walls, floors, and equipment. According to inspection reports from at least two years ago, there was an "imminent threat" to food safety due to the conditions.
“USDA took virtually no action — allowing Boar’s Head to continue business as usual at its chronically unsanitary Virginia plant — despite finding repeated serious violations,” Blumenthal said in a statement.
The Boar's Head Fallout Continues
Last month, it was revealed that legislators at the federal level believe that Boar's Head executives ought to be prosecuted for their actions after a deli meat-related listeria infection claimed the life of a 10th person.
In a letter sent on Thursday, Sept. 26, Sen. Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro requested cooperation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Justice in determining whether Boar's Head should face criminal charges related to the event.
“It is unacceptable that Boar’s Head did not take sufficient action to rectify these conditions that resulted in repeated violations for similar issues,” the Democrats wrote in their letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick Garland. “The time for action is long overdue, and we urge your agencies to work together to seek immediate justice for impacted consumers and to prevent this from happening again.”
The letter came shortly after a 10th death in connection to the listeria outbreak was announced in New York. The plant in Jarratt, Virginia, was spared harsh penalties by the U.S. Agriculture Department, which could have included a warning letter or perhaps an operational suspension. Subsequent inspections revealed that several issues persisted for two years following the initial report, despite the company continuing to produce a sizable amount of beef and pork products, including liverwurst.
Since then, Boar's Head has closed the Jarratt facility indefinitely and pledged to stop producing liverwurst.