Boar’s Head Listeria Recall Expanded With 71 More Items

The Boar’s Head deli meat recall has gone from bad to worse. According to a new announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the nationwide recall has now expanded to include 71 additional products due to Listeria concerns. This translates to approximately 7 million additional pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.

The newly recalled products were produced between May 10, 2024 and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. These items include meat intended for slicing at retail delis, as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations across the country, such as ham, salami, and bologna. These products have “sell by” dates ranging from 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24.

The items subject to this expanded recall were distributed to retail locations nationwide, and some were exported 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 a result of this recall, many grocery chains across the country have closed some or all of their deli counters in an effort to prevent the spread of Listeria. This includes Kroger, Stop & Shop, Harris Teeter, and more. 

This recall was expanded after FSIS was notified that a liverwurst 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 that liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of L. monocytogenes infections. Further testing determined the product sample tested positive for the current outbreak strain, indicating at least one source of the ongoing Listeria outbreak has been identified. It’s not yet known if there are other products contributing to the outbreak.

The FSIS is currently working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners to continue to investigate the multistate outbreak of L. monocytogenes infections linked to meats sliced at delis. As of July 30, 2024, 34 sick people have been identified in 13 states. This includes 33 hospitalizations and two deaths. 

The FSIS strongly recommends that consumers who have purchased any recalled products throw them away or return them to the place of purchase without consuming them. Shoppers who bought these items are also urged to clean their refrigerators thoroughly to prevent the risk of any cross-contamination. Additionally, retailers in possession of these items are being told to clean and sanitize all food and non-food surfaces, and discard any open meats and cheeses in the deli section.

Per the FDA, Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. While healthy individuals may experience symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, a listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, as well as other serious complications for the elderly or immunocompromised.

Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Boar’s Head customer service at 1-800-352-6277.