Boar’s Head faces scrutiny over unsanitary conditions described as “general filth,” wrote an inspector about an Indiana plant.
The company that has long marketed itself as a leader in deli meats is under fire for unsanitary conditions at multiple plants.
USDA inspection records, released under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed six years of violations, including meat scraps, fat residue, mold, insects, dripping condensation, and an “unidentified slime” at facilities in Indiana, Arkansas and Virginia, reported the Associated Press.
The bombshell documentation from inspectors includes other observances like “dark, stinky residue” and a puddle of “blood, debris and trash” seen throughout multiple Boar’s Head plants.
The violations echoed those at the shuttered Jarratt, Virginia plant after its liverwurst was linked to a deadly listeria outbreak that sickened over 60 people and resulted in 10 deaths.
Boar’s Head recalled over 7 million pounds of deli meat and poultry across the U.S. A USDA report released Friday said the outbreak was caused by “inadequate sanitation practices.”
Boar’s Head faces many lawsuits, including one from Garett Dorman, whose mother, Linda, 73, died after eating contaminated Boar’s Head liverwurst. Lawmakers criticized the USDA’s lack of oversight regarding the Sarasota-based company.
“The new records released by FSIS should be considered by the DOJ, especially as they potentially point to a wider, systemic problem,” lawmakers Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro said in a statement. “These reports make clear that there is a culture of noncompliance of critical safety and sanitary protocols.”
The USDA inspector general is reviewing the agency’s handling of Boar’s Head repeat safety offenses. The company said it is hiring a “food safety culture manager,” as officials call for stronger safety measures to prevent future outbreaks.
