Boar's Head recalls 200K lbs. of popular deli meats as deadly nationwide listeria outbreak continues

As U.S. health officials continue to investigate a deadly listeria outbreak linked to deli meat sliced at grocery store counters nationwide, U.S. health officials Friday announced a recall of more than 200,000 pounds of popular Boar’s Head liverwurst and other deli meats due to similar concerns.

Boar’s Head Provisions Co. has recalled all currently available liverwurst because it could be contaminated with listeria bacteria, an announcement from the company said. It is also recalling additional popular deli meat products produced on the same line and on the same day as the liverwurst, the company said.

In total, the recall impacts approximately 207,528 products, health officials said.

According to the USDA, the problem was discovered when a sample of Boar’s Head liverwurst from a Maryland store tested positive for listeria. The sample was from an unopened package, collected by the Maryland Department of Health as part of an investigation into the ongoing, nationwide listeria outbreak.

Testing is underway to determine if the liverwurst sample is connected to the nationwide outbreak, health officials said.

Which Boar's Head meats were recalled?

The ready-to-eat liverwurst products were produced between June 11, 2024, and July 17, 2024, the announcement said. The other ready-to-eat deli meat products were produced on June 27, 2024.

The Boar’s Head recall includes a number of products stamped with an August 10 sell-by date, including bologna, garlic bologna, beef bologna, beef salami, Italian Cappy-style ham and Extra Hot Italian Cappy-style ham. Also included is Steakhouse Roasted Bacon Heat and Eat, with a sell-by date of Aug. 15. The full list of impact products can be found below.

Liverwurst:

• 3.5-lb. loaves in plastic casing, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst MADE IN VIRGINIA.” The products shipped to retailers bear sell by dates ranging July 25, 2024, to Aug. 30, 2024, printed on the side of the packaging.

Deli Meat:

• 9.5-lb. and 4.5-lb. full product, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head VIRGINIA HAM OLD FASHIONED HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 4-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 6-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head EXTRA HOT ITALIAN CAPPY STYLE HAM” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 4-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 2.5-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BEEF SALAMI” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 5.5-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head STEAKHOUSE ROASTED BACON HEAT & EAT” with sell by date “AUG 15” on the product packaging.
• 3-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head GARLIC BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.
• 3-lb., or various weight packages sliced in retail delis, containing “Boar’s Head BEEF BOLOGNA” with sell by date “AUG 10” on the product packaging.             

A full list of impacted labels can be found here.

Nationwide listeria outbreak linked to sliced deli meat at grocery store counters

The nationwide listeria outbreak linked to sliced deli meat sold at grocery store counters was first reported last week. According to the Centers for Disease and Control, 34 people in a dozen states, including Illinois, were sickened, with all but one hospitalized. Two people died. According to authorities, this means the contaminated food may still be in circulation, and consumers should consider their personal risk level when consuming deli meats.

Here's which states illnesses were reported in, according to the CDC:

• Minnesota: 1
• Missouri: 2
• Wisconsin: 1
• Illinois: 1, fatal
• Pennsylvania: 1
• New York: 7
• Massachusetts: 2
• New Jersey: 2, 1 of which was fatal
• Maryland: 6
• Virginia: 2
• North Carolina: 1
• Georgia: 2

Federal health officials warned last week that the number of illnesses is likely an undercount, because people who recover at home aren’t likely to be tested. For the same reason, the outbreak may have spread wider than the states where listeria infections have been reported, mostly in the Midwest and along the U.S. eastern coast.

What investigators have learned

Of the people investigators have been able to interview, “89% reported eating meats sliced at a deli, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham. Meats were sliced at a variety of supermarket and grocery store delis,” the CDC said.

And samples collected from victims from May 29 to July 5 show the bacteria is closely related genetically.

“This information suggests that meats sliced at the deli are a likely source of this outbreak. However, at this time CDC doesn’t have enough information to say which deli meats are the source of this outbreak,” the agency said in a statement published on its website Friday.

People most commonly reported eating deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst and ham, officials said.

Listeria symptoms to know

Listeria infections typically cause fever, muscle aches and tiredness and may cause stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Symptoms can occur quickly or to up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food.

It can be diagnosed by testing bodily fluids, usually blood, and sometimes urine or spinal fluid, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Listeria infections are especially dangerous for people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC. Victims of this outbreak ranged in age from 32 to 94, with a median age of 75.

For pregnant people, listeria can increase the risk of miscarriages. One of the victims of the current outbreak was pregnant, but did not have a miscarriage, officials said.

Infections confined to the gut — intestinal listeriosis — can often be treated without antibiotics according to the CDC. For example, people might need extra fluids while experiencing diarrhea.

But when the infection spreads beyond the gut — invasive listeriosis — it’s extremely dangerous, and is often treated with antibiotics to mitigate the risk of blood infections and brain inflammation, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Other recent listeria outbreaks

Over the decades, listeria has provoked voluntary or mandated recalls of cheeses, bean dips, milk, mushrooms, packaged salads, and ice cream.

Thursday, certain produce items sold at select grocery stores in Illinois were recalled due to listeria concerns. Earlier this month, cucumbers sold at Midwestern Walmart stores were recalled. In Canada, two people have died in a listeria outbreak linked to plant-based milk products, including Silk.