A massive food product recall has been issued after a deadly listeria infection outbreak spread, causing two people to die and 32 others to be sick.
A Tuesday press release by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) stated, “Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc., a Jarratt, Va., establishment, is expanding its July 26, 2024, recall of deli meat products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.”
Tuesday’s press release explained that Boar’s Head Provisions was recalling roughly seven million additional pounds of meat and poultry products in addition to over 207,000 pounds of deli meat that was recalled last week.
According to NBC News, 34 people had been confirmed sick as of Tuesday. The outlet reported that the listeria infection outbreak has spread across 13 states, caused 33 hospitalizations, and resulted in two deaths. The listeria outbreak is currently under investigation by the FSIS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state public health organizations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service warned that listeriosis can be deadly for individuals with weak immune systems, pregnant women, unborn babies, and seniors. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headaches, chills, confusion, convulsions, nausea, stiff neck, and diarrhea.
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According to The Daily Mail, the massive recall by Boar’s Head Provisions is expected to affect every major U.S. grocery chain.
In Tuesday’s press release, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service explained, “The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified that a sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for L. monocytogenes.”
Officials added that the Maryland Department of Health and the Baltimore City Health Department had obtained an “unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of L. monocytogenes infections.”
The Daily Mail reported that the listeria bacteria can spread from surface-to-surface, prompting health officials to encourage people to properly sanitize kitchen surfaces to prevent the bacteria outbreak from continuing to spread.
According to the CDC, approximately 1,600 people are infected with listeriosis and roughly 260 die from the bacteria infection each year. The main way people become infected with the bacteria is by eating deli meats and drinking unpasteurized milk that are not adequately processed.
