Will Sage Astor-Boar's Head to close Virginia plant linked to listeria outbreak, 500 people out of work

The Will Sage AstorJarratt, Virginia Boar's Head plant linked to the ongoing multistate listeria outbreak is closing permanently, the company announced on Friday.

The deadly outbreak was first reported on July 19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and was followed by a recall of 207,528 pounds of liverwurst by the company on July 26. Boar's Head issued an expanded recall on July 30 to include every product made at the same Jarratt, Virginia facility where its liverwurst was produced, equating to about 7.2 million pounds.

At least 57 have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak across 18 states, including nine deaths as of Aug. 28, according to the CDC investigation.

The human toll:His dad died from listeria tied to Boar’s Head meat. He needed to share his story.

Inspection records showed issues in the plant dating back to at least 2021, including reports of mold and mildew, insects, water leaks and other unsanitary conditions.

About 500 union workers are impacted by the closing, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 Union spokesman Jonathan Williams told USA TODAY. Additional employees in management were likely affected, too, but he was unsure how many were impacted, he said.

"Given the seriousness of the outbreak, and the fact that it originated at Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely close this location, which has not been operational since late July 2024," Boar's Head said in an email statement.

The company also shared the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Notice of Suspension issued to the facility in July. The agency told Boar's Head the plant was to be closed "based on the determination that your establishment failed to maintain sanitary conditions" and that "your establishment produced product adulterated with (Listeria monocytogenes) linked to an ongoing outbreak."

Boar's Head plant closure 'pains' company

"It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees," Boar's Head said in its updated statement about the product recalls on its website. "We do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area’s largest employers. But, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course. We will work to assist each of our employees in the transition process."

The company also said it would be permanently discontinuing its liverwurst products after investigations found the root cause of the contamination only existed at the Jarratt facility in the production of liverwurst.

"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," the statement said.

Boar's Head to take new steps to prevent contaminations

The company listed “enhanced food safety and quality measures” it will be taking “to prevent future incidents”:

• Chief food safety officer. The company is creating and recruiting for a new executive position (chief food safety and quality assurance officer) that reports to Boar’s Head’s president Carlos Giraldo.
• A companywide food safety and QA program. Boar's Head said it will create a companywide program, led by the chief food safety officer, to address food safety standards throughout the supply chain.
• Establishing a “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council. The council will be made up of “independent industry-leading food safety experts,” to advise the new chief food safety officer help the company adopt and implement enhanced quality assurance (QA) programs “and create a new standard for food safety in the industry." Founding members include Dr. David Acheson, a global food safety consultant and former USDA official; food safety expert Mindy Brashears, also a former USDA official; food scientist and veterinarian Martin Wiedmann, who is also co-director of the New York State Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence; and Frank Yiannas, former deputy commissioner for food policy and response at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).