After Boar’s Head pulled more than 200,000 pounds of deli meat from shelves last week — amid a multi-state listeria monocytogenes outbreak — it’s expanding its recall.
READ MORE: Boar’s Head recalls 207K pounds of products, amid multi-state listeria outbreak
Roughly 7 million pounds of deli meat is affected or potentially exposed to listeria, including 71 products such as beef salami, Virginia ham, liverwurst, bacon and more (see full list here). The items were produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names.
Sell-by dates are from July 29 to Oct. 17, and products will bear the establishment number “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was notified of the possible contamination by the Maryland Department of Health, which tested a sample product for listeria monocytogenes in liverwurst, as obtained by a retailer. With the Baltimore City Health Department, it determined the outbreak strain associated with the product.
FSIS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners have linked listeria infections due to deli-sliced meats, as sampled from sick people between May and July. It continues the investigation; as of July 30, there have been 34 sick people identified in 13 states, including 33 hospitalizations and two deaths.
Anyone concerned about illness should contact a healthcare provider. Listeriosis is a serious infection, often affecting older people, those who are pregnant or with weakened immune systems. It can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. It’s treated with antibiotics.
People with the Boar’s Head products in their refrigerators should toss them — or return the product to its retailer — and thoroughly sanitize the appliance as to ensure it doesn’t affect other foods. Retail delis are also encouraged to clean and sanitize all food and non-food surfaces and discard open meats and cheeses in the deli.
More information can be found here and consumers who have questions can contact Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. customer service at 1-800-352-6277. Or call toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854).
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