Food safety attorney calls for investigation of Boar's Head

Disturbing details of Boar's Head plant in Virginia

Some stomach-turning details have come to light in the listeria outbreak linked to Boar's Head deli meats.

SEATTLE, Wash. - In a recent interview, renowned food safety attorney Bill Marler expressed grave concerns over a listeria outbreak linked to Boar's Head meat products, which has resulted in 57 illnesses, 57 hospitalizations, and nine deaths.

Marler, who has built a career on advocating for food safety, described the conditions at the Virginia plant where the contaminated products were produced as "mind-bogglingly bad."

Marler revealed he has obtained the USDA inspection reports for the plant, which detailed a shocking level of non-compliance with food safety regulations.

"The plant was a mess," he said, recounting findings of rotten meat on the floors, mold on the walls, and drippy condensers — conditions that create a "breeding ground for listeria." He emphasized that listeria thrives in cool, wet environments, making it especially dangerous in products like deli meats and cheeses.

"This plant was producing food under these conditions for a year and a half," Marler said.

Marler said that listeria's long incubation period means that people who consumed contaminated products months ago could still fall ill, and that the full scope of the outbreak might not yet be apparent.

Marler criticized the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Services (FSIS) for allowing the plant to continue operations despite repeated violations over a year and a half.

"I've seen lots of inspection reports, but I've never seen one this bad over an extended period of time," he stated.

In response to the severity of the outbreak and the apparent regulatory failures, Marler is calling on Congress to hold hearings to investigate the situation.

"There needs to be accountability," Marler said. "This is not only a criminal failure but also a moral failure on the part of the company and the USDA," Marler said.

The listeria outbreak has led to a recall of 7.2 million pounds of meat, and the situation is expected to worsen as the incubation period for listeria can be as long as 70 days. Marler warned that more cases may emerge in the coming months.

Marler urges Congress to investigate why there was no effective communication between decision-makers and why the plant wasn’t shut down.

Marler also emphasized the human toll of the outbreak. He recounted the story of one of his clients, a Holocaust survivor who survived by hiding under floorboards during World War II, only to die from consuming contaminated liverwurst in the United States.

"It's just crazy," Marler said. "It shouldn't happen."

The implications of the outbreak are dire, both for public health and for Boar's Head. Marler predicted that the company would face significant civil lawsuits and possibly criminal charges for violating the Federal Meat Inspection Act. He also stressed the need for stronger government oversight to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"The government officials in charge of meat production in this country have no excuse either," Marler concluded. "A plant shouldn't operate like this in the United States in 2024. It's just ridiculous."