Are Boar's Head food products in Texas affected by listeria? See product recall list

If you buy Boar's Head products, make sure and check your refrigerator shelves for recalled products before consuming them.

Boar's Head Provisions Co., a major producer of deli meats, has recalled several products due to an outbreak of listeria. The outbreak has reportedly caused the deaths of nine people and required the hospitalization of 57 others.

People need to look for "EST. 12612" or "P-12612" inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels. Some of the products have sell by dates into October 2024.

There have been no reports of listeria in Texas, and there has been 1 report of listeria in New Mexico.

Here is what we know about the Boar's Head Provisions Co. recall.

Where has Boar's Head listeria been reported?

There have not been any reports of listeria in Texas. The following states have reported cases of listeria:

Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Two deaths were reported in South Carolina and one each in Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Tennessee, and Virginia. No deaths or hospitalizations resulting from the outbreak have been reported in California.

Sprouts Farmers Market, Safeway and Albertsons are among the stores that have been released as product retailers in many of the states in a USDA release.

“Boar’s Head has issued a recall of some of its products due to a potential listeria monocytogenes outbreak,” reported the Sprouts website. “If you have purchased any of these deli meats at Sprouts deli service counters, please do not consume them. Sprouts has removed these products from its stores.”

Virginia plant shut down; liverwurst identified as source of contamination

Boar’s Head announced Friday that it will indefinitely close its Virginia deli meat plant, which has been linked to a deadly listeria outbreak, the New York Times reported.

The company identified liverwurst processing as the source of the contamination and confirmed it will permanently discontinue the product.

Boar's Head product recall list

A recall has been issued for various uncured ham, bologna, bacon, frankfurters and sausage products. All products listed below, purchased before July 31, should be returned to the point of purchase for a refund or properly discarded, according to their website.

Ham:

• All Natural Applewood Smoked Uncured Ham

• All Natural Traditional Uncured Ham

• BourbonRidge Uncured Smoked Ham

• Brown Sugar & Spice Off the Bone Ham

• Gourmet Pepper Brand Ham

• Hickory Smoked Roast Uncured Ham

• Italian Cappy Ham

• Hot Italian Cappy Style Ham

• Extra Hot Italian Cappy Style Ham

• Maple Glazed Roast Pork Loin

• Peppenero Garlic Ham

• Porchetta Roasted Seasoned Pork (Foodservice)

• Roasted Pork

• Rosemary & Sundried Tomato Ham

• SmokeMaster Beechwood Smoked Ham

• Sweet Slice Smoked Uncured Ham

• Tavern Ham

• Virginia Ham

Bologna:

• Pork & Beef Bologna

• 33% Lower Sodium Bologna

• Beef Bologna

• Beef Salami

• Garlic Bologna

• Head Cheese

• Strassburger Brand Liverwurst

• Liverwurst Pate

• Olive Terrine Loaf

• Pickle & Pepper Terrine Loaf

• Spiced Ham

Bacon:

• Canadian Style Uncured Bacon

• Steakhouse Roasted Slab Bacon

Frankfurters:

• Uncured Pork & Beef Frankfurters

• Uncured Pork & Beef Frankfurters - Natural Casing

• Uncured Beef Frankfurters

• Uncured Beef Frankfurters - Natural Casing

• Uncured Cocktail Frankfurters

• Uncured Beef Knockwurst

Sausage:

• Bratwurst

• Hot Smoked Uncured Sausage

• Uncured Kielbasa

• All Natural Chicken Sausage - Smoked Andouille

Old Country Brand Products:

• All Nat Uncured Smoked Ham

• All Natural Uncured Ham

• Beechwood Smoked Ham

• BourbonRidge Smoked Ham

• Brown Sugar & Spice Delight Off the Bone Ham

• Cappy Brand Ham

• Gourmet Pepper Ham

• Habanero Ham

• Rosemary Tomato Ham

• Black Forest Ham

• Canadian Style Bacon

• Cappy Ham

• Hot Butt Cappy Ham

• Seasoned Fresh Ham

• Sweet Slice Smoked Ham

• Tavern Ham

Where does Boar's Head listeria come from?

In response to the listeria outbreak, Boar’s Head issued a statement:

“We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families. No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for those who have suffered losses or endured illness.

“We are conducting an extensive investigation, working closely with the USDA and government regulatory agencies, as well as with the industry’s leading food safety experts, to determine how our liverwurst produced at our Jarratt, Virginia facility was adulterated and to prevent it from happening again.”

Clues to what caused the outbreak may be in a recent list of noncompliances at Boar’s Head plant in Virginia, issued by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The report, detailing inspections from June 1, 2023, to July 29, 2024, lists 84 noncompliances, including an inspector’s account of an Aug. 8, 2023, visit after a metal box covering a hydraulic pump was removed.

“Heavy discolored meat build-up was found on the pump itself, the inside covering, and built on the floor,” the inspector wrote. “Around the motor was meat, wood pieces, and plastic. When the cover was taken off, an obvious odor filled the department.”

Boar's Head: Plant linked to listeria outbreak had bugs, mold and mildew, inspectors say

Another sample report described a Feb. 21, inspection of a raw receiving cooler.

“…there were ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor, and on the rack that were heavily soiled to the point they appeared to leak at a steady pace,” the inspector wrote. “There was also a rancid smell in the cooler.”

In response the outbreak, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is calling for an investigation into the USDA’s oversight failures and safety protocols. The senator blames the USDA for its “gross negligence” in failing to prevent the spread of listeria.

Meanwhile, Boar’s Head Provisions Co. is facing a growing list of lawsuits.

What are the effects of listeria poisoning?

Listeria bacteria can cause an infection called listeriosis, which has different symptoms depending on the person and the body part infected. Symptoms of intestinal illness, such as diarrhea and vomiting, usually start within 24 hours after eating food contaminated with listeria, and usually last one to three days.

Listeria becomes an invasive illness when it spreads beyond the intestines. Symptoms of invasive illness usually start within two weeks after eating food contaminated with listeria, according to the CDC.

Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in newborns, young children, those 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals usually only suffer brief symptoms including high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

However, listeria infection can also result in miscarriages and stillbirths.

The CDC advises those who have eaten food linked to an outbreak and have a fever, fatigue, or muscle aches, to contact a healthcare provider.

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Source: USAToday reports.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Boar's Head recall: Lunch meat products in Texas affected by listeria?