Boar’s Head now recalling 7 million pounds of lunch meats after deadly outbreak

🔵 34 people have been sickened and two killed by a Listeria outbreak

🔵 The cause of the outbreak may be connected to sliced deli meats

🔵 Boar's Head has issued a recall of 7 million pounds worth of its product

Boar’s Head has added 71 ready-to-eat meat and poultry products and 7 million pounds of product to its recall because of possible Listeria contamination.

Investigators from the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and other state health agencies believe a Listeria breakout that has sickened 34 people nationwide and left two dead, including one in New Jersey. It may be connected to deli meats sliced at supermarkets and grocery stores.

Boar's Head initially recalled 207,528 pounds of ready-to-eat product produced at a Virginia facility between June 11 and July 17 and sold nationwide. The recall included all liverwurst products after Listeria contamination was found in a sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health from an unopened can in Baltimore.

The result prompted the company to greatly expand the recall by adding 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. These products have “sell by” dates ranging from 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24.

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What is the danger of Listeria?

Stop and Shop spokesman Daniel Wolk told New Jersey 101.5 that Boar's Head told them on Tuesday they were going to expand the recall. All store deli counters were closed for several hours for deep cleaning and sanitization and all the recalled product removed.

"We also discarded all other open deli meats and cheeses that could have come into contact with the recalled items," Wolk said in an statement. "As always, ensuring the safety of the products we sell is our highest priority."

Deli counters at all of Stop and Shop's 57 New Jersey locations were reopened by late Tuesday afternoon.

Consumers who have the product should throw it away or return it to where it was purchased. They should also clean out their refrigerator to prevent the risk of cross-contamination.

Listeria causes an invasive infection that spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. It can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Women who are pregnant, over the age of 65 or with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of serious infection

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