Two Democratic politicians are calling on federal agencies to launch a criminal investigation into the wild boar’s head listeria outbreak that has killed 10 people and hospitalized 59 others in 19 states. CBS News reported that the USDA did open an investigation, but it was unclear whether it was a civil or criminal matter.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday calling for the Investigating potential criminal charges over recall of 7 million pounds of Boar’s Head food. The meat contains listeria, and health authorities worry it could still be sitting in Americans’ refrigerators because some products have a sell-by date of October.
Blumenthal held a news conference Friday about the Boar’s Head issue, calling the deaths and illnesses “entirely preventable” and the result of “unsanitary, unsafe conditions and repeated violations of federal safety standards.” Blumenthal serves on several key Senate committees and chairs the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
“The violations of standards here have been repeated, reckless and seemingly intentional, which is why I believe Boar’s Head should be subject to a criminal investigation and possible action,” Blumenthal said.
CBS News submitted a Freedom of Information Act request regarding the boar heads to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and received notice that the documents could not be released because they were “compiled for law enforcement purposes.” CBS noted that it is unclear whether the law enforcement investigation is a criminal or civil investigation.
“We take public health and corporate responsibility issues very seriously and the investigation into this matter remains ongoing,” an FSIS spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News.
The meatpacking plant at the center of the outbreak in Jarrett, Virginia, was shut down when the recall was first announced in July, and the company announced earlier this month that it would permanently close the facility. Boar’s Head has also announced it will discontinue its liverwurst product, which is believed to have caused the deaths of 10 people due to listeria contamination.
The New York Times published a rather damning report exposing failed health inspections at the Jarratt meatpacking plant, including how health inspectors found rust, meat exposed to moisture on the ceiling, and green mold existence. Incredibly, the USDA failed to enact strict health measures despite discovering these lapses.
Although the current outbreak has killed 10 people and hospitalized 59 people, it is entirely possible that this number will continue to increase. As the CDC notes in information about the recall on its website, it typically takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a patient is part of an outbreak. Even more worrying for consumers who ate boar head products a few months ago and thought they were off the hook, reports are that it can take up to 10 weeks for some people to develop symptoms of exposure to pig head products.
The CDC is particularly concerned about older adults in this listeria outbreak because all of the deaths were among consumers 70 years of age or older. Deaths include Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, New York and South Carolina.
In a letter to USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick Garland, Senator Blumenthal and Representative DeLauro called on agencies to “work together to provide services to those harmed by the pandemic.” Seeking immediate justice”.
“We cannot allow large corporations to harm public health, and we must hold food companies to the highest standards so Americans can safely buy groceries and feed their families,” the letter reads. “Boar’s Head must be held accountable, and those affected by this crisis must be held accountable.” The people affected deserve more than an apology, they deserve justice.”
Boar’s Head released a statement earlier this month announcing the formation of a new internal safety committee and the creation of a new position called chief food safety and quality assurance officer, which will report directly to the company’s president.
“This is a dark moment for our company‘history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to strengthen food safety programs not only for our company but for the entire industry,” the company said.
