Three Boar’s Head deli meat plants were cited for unsanitary conditions, including insects, mold, and “unidentified slime,” according to newly released federal records. The new findings suggest that sanitation problems were not limited to the company’s factory that was shut down last year following a deadly listeria outbreak.
The inspection records, released in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from The Associated Press and other news organizations, appear similar to some of the issues found at the Jarrett, Virginia, plant that was shuttered after at least 10 people died from Boar’s Head products contaminated with listeria.
The plants — located in New Castle, Indiana; Forrest City, Arkansas; and Peterburg, Virginia — were cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issues such as mold on ceilings, floors and walls, “unidentified slime” and “an abundance of insects.” The problems cited by USDA inspectors at the three plants date back as far as 2019, according to the documents.
Boar’s Head didn’t immediately respond to a request from CBS News for comment. The company told The Associated Press that the violations cited at the three factories “do not meet our high standards.” The company’s remaining plants continue to operate under normal USDA oversight, Boar’s Head added.
Other issues at the three plants include:
- Green “mold or algae”
- “Dried meat residue” on various surfaces
- “Dripping condensation” landing on food and other surfaces
- Flaking and chipping paint, as well as rust
Inspection records at a fourth plant, located in New Holland, Michigan, didn’t show similar sanitation issues.
The newly released records are “really concerning,” said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group.
“It’s reasonable for some people to decide they don’t want to eat deli meat,” he said. “Companies like Boar’s Head, they should have to earn consumers’ trust.”
At Boar’s Head’s now-shuttered facility in Jarrett, Virginia, inspectors found dozens of violations, including leftover meat on equipment, mold and mildew buildup, insects in and around deli meats, and puddles of blood on the plant’s floor.
In a report about last year’s listeria outbreak issued on Jan. 10, the USDA cited the Jarrett plant’s “inadequate sanitation practices” as a contributing factor. Other issues included structural problems at the factory, such as cracks, holes and broken flooring that could retain moisture and cause wet conditions, as well as rust, peeling caulk and other issues at the building.
contributed to this report.
