Boar’s Head listeria recall expanded to 71 deli meats sold by Kroger, Publix and others
Just five days after a recall of deli meats related to a deadly listeria outbreak, Boar’s Head Provisions expanded that recall Tuesday by 7 million pounds of 71 products sold under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brands.
This recall has hit some of the nation’s leading grocery sellers, including Kroger (No. 2, according to Foodindustry.com), Publix (No. 6) and H-E-B (No. 7).
Here’s what you need to know.
What Boar’s Head deli meats are recalled now?
Thursday’s original recall included Boar’s Head Liverwurst, Steakhouse Roasted Bacon, Beef Salami, three kinds of bologna and three kinds of ham produced from June 11 to July 17 and with “EST. 12612” inside the USDA inspection stamp.
READ MORE: Boar’s Head recalls 207,500 pounds of deli meats nationwide
“Monday evening, we learned from the USDA that our Strassburger Brand Liverwurst has been linked to the national deli meat listeria monocytogenes outbreak,” Boar’s Head said on its website. “Based on this new information, we took steps to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect public health.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to immediately and voluntarily expand our recall to include all items produced at the Jarratt, Virginia facility. We have also decided to pause ready-to-eat operations at this facility until further notice.”
Thursday’s expansion includes 54 kinds of Boar’s Head brand meats, including frankfurters, hams, olive loaf, head cheese and sausage. In addition, 17 kinds of Old Country hams sold to the food service industry (restaurants, caterers, cafeterias, etc.) got yanked.
They were produced from May 10 through Monday; have sell-by dates from Monday through Oct. 17; and carry “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” in the USDA inspection stamp. Some of these went to the Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico and the Cayman Islands.
The USDA posted a full list of products in the expanded recall Tuesday night.
What you should do if you have recalled meats?
Don’t eat any of the recalled meats. Return them to the store where you bought them for a full refund or, at least, throw them deep in the trash where pets can’t get to them. Then, clean and sanitize any surfaces, such as counters and refrigerator drawers or shelves, that the meats might have touched.
Questions about this recall can be answered by calling Boar’s Head Provisions at 800-352-6277.
What’s the latest on the listeria outbreak?
As of Friday’s update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 34 people were sick in 13 states — New York (12); Maryland (six); Missouri, Georgia, Massachusetts, Virginia, New Jersey (two each); North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin (one each). There were 33 hospitalizations and there have been two deaths, one each in Illinois and New Jersey.
“Of the 24 people able to be interviewed, 23 reported eating meats sliced at a deli,” the CDC said. “Of the 23 people who were asked if they ate liverwurst, 13 reported deli-sliced liverwurst before getting sick, and seven reported Boar’s Head brand. These deli meats were sliced at a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis.”
The number of people who recover without receiving professional medical attention means official outbreak illness counts usually undercut the actual number sickened.
What is listeria?
According to the CDC, listeria infects only about 1,600 people in the United States each year, but kills about 260. Listeria can cause stillbirths and miscarriages in pregnant women. The most vulnerable to listeria’s worst effects are people over 65 years old and children under 5. Most people get symptoms similar to the flu along with fever, headaches, stiff necks and poor balance. Seizures are also possible.
