BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Boar’s Head has issued another recall, for 7 million pounds of deli meats possibly contaminated with listeria.
The move comes less than week after more than 200,000 pounds of liverwurst and other meats were affected by the same bacteria.
According to a release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, Virginia-based Boar’s Head Provisions Co. has expanded its recall of deli meats that may have been adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Seventy-one products, including ready-to-eat meat and poultry, are included in the recall.
Products affected by the recall were produced between May 10 and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names.
The items include meat intended for slicing at delis, as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations. These products have “sell by” dates of 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24.
Numerous pork products, including various types of deli ham and bacon, in addition to some chicken and beef products, are detailed in the recall list.
Affected items
The FSIS said on Tuesday that the recalled products were distributed to retail locations nationwide, in addition to some exports sent to the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Panama.
The products shipped to retailers bear establishment number “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.
“As of July 30, 2024, 34 sick people have been identified in 13 states, including 33 hospitalizations and two deaths," a statement from the FSIS states.
"Samples were collected from sick people from May 29, 2024, to July 12, 2024. The investigation is ongoing, and FSIS continues to work with the CDC and state partners.
"The CDC Food Safety Alert, Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at Delis, will continue to be updated with the latest investigation details.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tracking map for the listeria outbreak only lists one case of the disease in Pennsylvania as of July 26.
Preventing listeria outbreaks in the Lehigh Valley
It's unknown whether anyone in the Lehigh Valley has been affected by the listeria outbreak, but retailers are taking precautions for public safety.
When reached for comment on how the Giant supermarket chain handled the outbreak, Public Relations Manager Ashley Flower said it “has removed all impacted products from sale both in stores and online.”
“In an abundance of caution, the company has also discarded all other open deli meats and cheeses that could have been sliced or prepared in the same area and has conducted a thorough cleaning and sanitation of the deli area and equipment. This is in addition to the actions we took last week — when the recall was initially announced."GIANT stores Public Relations Manager Ashley Flower
“In an abundance of caution, the company has also discarded all other open deli meats and cheeses that could have been sliced or prepared in the same area and has conducted a thorough cleaning and sanitation of the deli area and equipment," Flower said.
"This is in addition to the actions we took last week — when the recall was initially announced."
Flower also said customers who bought any impacted Boar’s Head product should discard it immediately, then contact customer service to obtain a full refund.
“Due to the risk of cross contamination, the company is also encouraging customers who purchased any in-store sliced or prepared deli product prior to and including July 29 to discard it and contact Customer Service for a full refund,” Flower said.
Wegmans Food Markets Public Relations Representative Marcie Rivera said in an email the chain “has not been impacted by the Boar’s Head recall, as we do not sell these products in our stores."
"We are closely monitoring the situation as the USDA continues their investigation,” Rivera said.
A call to Weis Markets regarding the listeria outbreak was not returned at the time of publication.
Investigations and medical advice
According to the FSIS, the issue came to light when it was told that a sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for listeria.
The Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of the infections.
Further testing continues to determine if the product sample is related to the outbreak, and the FSIS encourages anyone concerned about illness to contact a healthcare provider.
The FSIS also stated it is working with the CDC and other state public health partners to investigate the outbreak linked to the meats sliced at delis.
Consuming food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an infection that primarily affects people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. Less commonly, people outside these risk groups are affected.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.
The FSIS states an invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract.
The infection can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of newborns when it appears in pregnant individuals.
Older adults and those with compromised or weakened immune systems are also vulnerable to serious and sometimes fatal infections.
Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics.
“Treatment of listeria infection varies, depending on the severity of the signs and symptoms," according to the Mayo Clinic. "Most people with mild symptoms require no treatment.
"More serious infections can be treated with antibiotics. During pregnancy, prompt antibiotic treatment might help keep the infection from affecting the baby.”
Boar’s Head customers with questions related to the recalled products have been encouraged to call Boar’s Head Provisions Co.'s customer service line at 800-352-6277.
