PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The death toll for a nationwide Listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meat is officially in the double digits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC confirmed the additional death, as well as two additional cases of illness, in a Thursday investigation update warning the outbreak isn’t over. The latest person to die was reported to be a resident of New York.
As of Thursday, at least 59 people across 19 states were reported to have been sickened in the outbreak. Deaths were recorded in Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The Sarasota, Florida-based company announced Sept. 13 that it was closing its plant in Jarratt, Virginia, linked to the outbreak. The moves came after inspection reports revealed problems including mold, insects, dripping water, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors, and equipment dating back at least two years.
“It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers,” Boar’s Head wrote in a statement shared on its website. “But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course.”
Boar’s Head is also facing multiple lawsuits related to the deaths and illnesses.
Popular grocery outlets such as Target, Kroger, Safeway, and Jewel were among the retailers that carried the contaminated deli meat — liverwurst — at the center of the recall. Boar’s Head permanently discontinued liverwurst earlier this month.
Boar’s Head is also facing multiple lawsuits related to the deaths and illnesses, including one from the family of an 88-year-old Virginia man and Holocaust survivor who died.
The company has vowed to implement better quality control and safety standards moving forward.
“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,” Boar’s Head said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., also Thursday called for Boar’s Head to be “held accountable” for the outbreak. The lawmakers, in a letter sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick Garland, urged the agencies to consider possible criminal charges.
“We cannot let large corporations get away with endangering public health, we must hold food companies to the highest standards so that Americans can feel safe shopping for groceries and feeding their families,” Blumenthal and DeLauro wrote in the joint letter. “Boar’s Head must be held accountable, those impacted by this crisis deserve more than an apology, they deserve justice.”
