JARRATT, Va. -- Boar’s Head has closed its deli meat plant in Jarratt, Virginia, one of the town's main employers. The plant stopped production in July after a deadly food poisoning outbreak was linked to meat from the facility.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the illnesses were first reported in May and continued through August. The plant has been linked to the deaths of at least nine people and hospitalizations of about 50 others in 18 states.
"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," the company posted on its website. "It pains us to impact the livelihoods of hundreds of hard-working employees. 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 Jarratt facility had repeatedly violated federal regulations, including instances of mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors, and equipment, the AP reported in August.
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Problems at the Plant
Government inspectors logged 69 instances of “noncompliance” with federal rules in the past year, including several in recent weeks, according to documents released through federal Freedom of Information Act requests.
Between Aug. 1, 2023, and Aug. 2, 2024, inspectors found “heavy discolored meat buildup" and “meat overspray on walls and large pieces of meat on the floor.”
They also documented flies “going in and out” of pickle vats and “black patches of mold” on a ceiling. One inspector detailed blood puddled on the floor and “a rancid smell in the cooler.” Plant staff were repeatedly notified that they had failed to meet requirements, the documents showed.
“I think it is disgusting and shameful,” Garshon Morgenstein, a Newport News man whose 88-year-old father, Gunter, died July 18 from a listeria infection traced to Boar's Head liverwurst, said. “I'm just even more in shock that this was allowed to happen.”
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The plant was inspected by Virginia officials through a partnership with the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service.
When problems were found, Boar's Head took “corrective actions in keeping with FSIS regulations,” officials said.
Federal reports show no enforcement actions against Boar’s Head between January and March, according to the latest records available.
The documents, first reported by CBS News, didn't contain any test results that confirmed listeria in the factory.
The bacteria thrive on floors, walls and drains, in cracks and crevices and hard-to-clean parts of food processing equipment. Pests such as flies can easily spread the bacteria through a plant and the germ can survive in biofilms — thin, slimy collections of bacteria that are difficult to eradicate.
Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University, said the records raise a lot of red flags.
“It makes me wonder why additional actions weren't taken by management of that company and the regulators,” she said.
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Donald Schaffner, a Rutgers food science and safety expert who reviewed the inspection documents, said reports of condensation throughout the plant are concerning because that's a known risk factor for listeria.
“The fact that they are having the same problems over and over again weeks apart is an indication that they really struggling to keep up with sanitation,” Schaffner said.
While exact numbers are not yet available, a state source told CBS 6 Friday that at least 500 workers and as many as 800 are impacted by the closure. When Virginia Works was asked for confirmation on the required company filing, a spokesperson said Friday afternoon they were still on site verifying.
"Everyone agrees this unprecedented tragedy was not the fault of the workforce, so it is especially unfortunate that the Jarratt plant must close indefinitely and put so many men and women out of work," a spokesperson for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 Union, which represents workers at Boar’s Head, wrote in an email. "Thankfully these workers have a union they can count on to always have their backs. We appreciate the extraordinary efforts Boar’s Head has made to keep our members on the job as long as possible and to ensure everyone is taken care of during this process. We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the company that will provide our members with the opportunity to transfer to other Boar’s Head facilities or to accept a severance package well above and beyond what is required under the law."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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