Boar’s Head closes plant due to Listeria outbreak, will no longer make liverwurst

In the wake of one of the worst Listeria outbreaks in over a decade—behind nine fatalities and a recall of over 7 million pounds of deli meat—Boar’s Head announced Friday it is closing its Jarratt, Va., plant indefinitely as well as permanently discontinuing the company’s liverwurst product.

“It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees,” the company said on its website. The plant has been closed since July. “We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers.

“This is a dark moment in our company’s history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry.”

The Listeria contamination was traced back to the Jarratt plant, which for years was cited for food safety violations during inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA inspectors found mold, puddles of blood and other substances, insects, and meat caked on walls and equipment. Boar’s Head received a notice of suspension for the Jarratt plant by the USDA on July 31.

About 500 workers were offered severance packages and the opportunity to relocate.

Boar’s Head has also instilled food safety and quality measures, including:

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to our customers and to the safety and quality of our products,” Boar’s Head said.