WARNING: DOES YOUR REFRIGERATOR CONTAIN LISTERIA?
If you are one of the millions of Americans who recently purchased one of several Boar's Head Deli Products, you may have bought a product containing deadly listeria bacteria. At least nine people have died and 57 have been hospitalized from a listeria outbreak linked to deli meat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In late July, Boar’s Head, a deli meat and cheese company, expanded a previously announced recall to include at least 7 million pounds of deli products the company says may have been contaminated by listeria amid a nationwide outbreak. The recall spans 71 products and includes meat meant to be sliced at retail delis along with prepackaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
As the tally of those stricken in a nationwide listeria outbreak tied to recalled Boar's Head deli meat rises, federal health officials are urging Americans to check their refrigerators for the products, some with sell-by dates into October. This is the largest such outbreak of listeria in the United States since one linked to cantaloupes more than a decade ago killed 33 people and injured another 147 in 28 states. Here's exactly what happened here with Boar's Head Deli Meats. A Boar's Head liverwurst sample tested positive for the outbreak strain of listeria in testing last month by the Maryland Department of Health, prompting the expanded recall. The 18 states where the 57 cases in the latest outbreak took place include Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. The first case was reported on May 29, 2024, and the last occurred on Aug. 16, 2024. Some people are suing Boar's Head after eating the company's products, according to the Associated Press. That includes lifelong liverwurst lover Sue Fleming, 88, who was hospitalized for more than a week with a listeria infection; and Ashley Solberg, who claimed in a lawsuit that she had "nearly lost her unborn child" after contracting the illness.
Still, recent illnesses may have yet to be reported as it typically takes three to four weeks to determine if an illness is part of an outbreak, according to the CDC. Further, the real number of sick people in the outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, as some recover without medical care or being tested for listeria.
What exactly is listeria? According to the CDC, listeria is a hardy germ that can remain on surfaces such as meat slicers and foods, even when refrigerated. It can take up to 10 weeks for some people to develop symptoms of listeriosis. Listeria spreads easily among equipment, surfaces, hands and food. The bacteria can contaminate many foods, and listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S. Each year an estimated 1,600 Americans are infected with listeria and 260 die from it.
Who is most at risk for a listeria infection? People who are pregnant, 65 and older or those with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of serious illness or death from a listeria infection. Those with symptoms including fever, muscle aches, tiredness should call a healthcare provider. Other symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or seizures. Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth, as well as serious illness or death in newborns. The infection is typically diagnosed with a sample from an ill person's body fluid or tissue, and treatment depends on the severity of the illness. People with diarrhea should drink lots of fluids to prevent dehydration. Those with an invasive illness are treated with antibiotics. If you have any of the Boar's Head products in your refrigerator, you should immediately throw them out or return them to the store where you bought them, and clean your refrigerator, containers and any surfaces that may have come in contact with the recalled meats.
As a service to our readers, the Warnings Doctor is providing you with a link to all of the recalled Boar's Head products:
Also, here is a link to the actual product labels of the recalled products:
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/food_label_pdf/2024-07/Recall-023-2024-EXP-Labels.pdf
In a statement, a Boar's Head spokesperson said the company deeply regrets the impact of the recall, and that food safety is their "absolute priority." As the Warnings Doctor, I also must tell you that the U.S. Department of Agriculture disclosed unappetizing conditions at the Boar's Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia, where the implicated products were produced. USDA inspectors found mold, mildew and insects throughout the facility, which has suspended operations for now.
