JARRATT, Va. — The Boar's Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia responsible for a listeria outbreak linked to at least nine deaths and 50 hospitalizations will close indefinitely.
In a statement Friday, the company said it had made the decision to close the plant and permanently discontinue its liverwurst product after identifying "the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst."
The union representing workers at the plant also released a statement Friday, saying the company’s decision to close the plant is unfortunate for workers there, who they say are not at fault in the "unprecedented tragedy."
Boar's Head will give employees the the opportunity to transfer to other company facilities, the union said.
The Jarratt facility has not been operational since late July, when a recall of deli meat products made there was linked to listeria infections of more than 50 people in at least 18 states.
According to government documents, federal food inspectors logged 69 violations at the plant over the last year, including instances of mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment.
Between Aug. 1, 2023, and Aug. 2, 2024, U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service personnel found “heavy discolored meat buildup" and “meat overspray on walls and large pieces of meat on the floor.” They also documented flies “going in and out” of pickle vats and “black patches of mold” on a ceiling. One inspector detailed blood puddled on the floor and “a rancid smell in the cooler.”
Plant staff were repeatedly notified that they had failed to meet requirements, the documents showed.