Boar’s Head has expanded a recall of hams and other sausages to include an additional 7 million pounds of products that may contain listeria following a deadly outbreak, a government agency said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Protection and Inspection Service (FSIS) has ordered a recall of 100,000 tons of Boar’s Head products after at least two people died and 34 others were hospitalized in 13 states from potentially contaminated meat, including liver pate.
The latest recall covers 71 products made between May 10 and July 29 under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brands, including Virginia ham, beef salami and bologna and meats that were prepared for slicing.
In a statement on its website on July 30, Boar’s Head said: “On Friday, July 25, we initiated an immediate recall of our Strassburger brand liverwurst due to the potential danger of being contaminated with Listeria. At that time, we also made the decision to recall nine additional products that were produced at our Jarrate, Virginia facility on the same production line and on the same day as the liverwurst product.”
On July 29, the USDA informed Boar’s Head that its liver pate had been “linked to the nationwide outbreak of listeria in deli meats,” the company wrote on its website.
“Based on this new information, we are taking steps to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect public health.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health departments are working together, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a statement.
However, FSIS is concerned that consumers may have the recalled products in their refrigerators and deli displays.
Consumers who own these products are advised to clean their refrigerators “thoroughly to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.”
Source: With information from AFP.
