Democratic House members are pressing Boar’s Head to explain whether a Virginia deli meat plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak is ready to resume operations, citing recent reports of sanitation lapses at other company facilities.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., sent a letter Monday asking Boar’s Head officials to appear before the Congressional Food Safety Caucus to address what she described as “a repeated pattern of food safety negligence that jeopardized Americans' public health.” The letter, signed by nine other House Democrats, points to Associated Press reporting that identified sanitation problems at Boar’s Head plants in three states and requests a company response by Sept. 26.
The Jarratt, Virginia, plant was shuttered last year after listeria-tainted liverwurst was linked to the deaths of 10 people and illnesses in dozens more, and prompted a recall of more than 7 million pounds of deli products. Federal investigators concluded that systemic problems at the facility contributed to the outbreak.
Boar’s Head has said it plans to reopen the Jarratt plant in the coming months. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lifted the plant’s suspension in July and said federal Food Safety and Inspection Service officials would assume direct oversight of operations. The agency said the change — moving inspections from state-conducted reviews under a cooperative agreement to direct federal inspections — is intended to ensure the plant consistently implements corrected food safety plans and to allow stricter enforcement if lapses occur. The company has said the Jarratt site will face at least 90 days of heightened monitoring once it restarts.
Documents obtained by the Associated Press and cited in the congressional letter describe problems at Boar’s Head facilities in Arkansas, Indiana and another Virginia site. Inspectors reported meat and fat residue left on equipment and walls, drains blocked with meat products, beaded condensation on ceilings and floors, overflowing trash cans and employees failing to follow required hygiene practices.
“It is appalling that Boar's Head is encountering similar issues at other facilities of theirs,” the lawmakers wrote. “This information leaves us less than confident that the facility in Jarratt, Virginia, is prepared to reopen safely.”
Boar’s Head said in a statement that it was reviewing the letter and emphasized that the Jarratt outbreak was an unprecedented event in the company’s more than 120-year history. The company said it acted “quickly, aggressively and decisively in close collaboration with regulators and leading food safety experts to identify the root cause of the problem and implement enhancements to our food manufacturing nationwide to prevent something like this from ever happening again.” The company declined to comment directly on the specific problems detailed in the inspection reports.
Records show that in the years before the outbreak state inspectors had documented numerous issues at the Jarratt plant, including mold, insects, dripping liquids from ceilings and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. Those inspections were conducted by state officials under a cooperative agreement with the federal agency.
The congressional inquiry reflects broader scrutiny of food safety oversight and corporate compliance following the outbreak. Lawmakers who signed the letter are seeking public accountability and a briefing on corrective actions, as they weigh whether the combination of company reforms and increased federal oversight will be sufficient to protect public health once the plant resumes operations.
The lawmakers’ request for a Sept. 26 response gives Boar’s Head a set timeline to answer questions from the caucus about corrective measures, oversight changes and whether the company’s practices at other sites have been brought into line with federal safety expectations. The USDA has said it will continue heightened supervision at Jarratt and enforce the terms of the plant’s return to operation if inspectors find further lapses.