7M pounds of Boar’s Head deli meats recalled in listeria outbreak inquiry

NEW YORK — A recall of some Boar’s Head liverwurst and other deli meats has been expanded to more than 7 million pounds.

A listeria outbreak has sickened nearly three dozen people and caused two deaths.

Boar’s Head Provisions Co. recalled its liverwurst because it may be tainted with the listeria bacteria, the U.S. Agriculture Department said. The company is also recalling additional deli meats that were produced on the same line and on the same day as the liverwurst.

The company initially recalled 207,528 pounds of products. Ther rercallwe as expanded to about 7 million pounds.

The expansion includes 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. These items include meat intended for slicing at retail delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations. These products have “sell by” dates ranging from 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24.

The USDA said a sample of Boar’s Head liverwurst from a Maryland store tested positive for listeria. The sample was from an unopened package, collected by the Maryland Department of Health as part of an investigation into the listeria outbreak.

Testing is underway to determine if the liverwurst sample is connected to the outbreak, health officials said.

The outbreak was first reported last week. As of Thursday, 34 people were sickened, with all but one hospitalized. Two people died.

People most commonly reported eating deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst and ham, officials said.

Listeria can contaminate food and sicken people who eat it. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. It can be treated with antibiotics, but it is especially dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Boar’s Head recall includes a number of products stamped with an August 10 sell-by date, including bologna, garlic bologna, beef bologna, beef salami, Italian Cappy-style ham and Extra Hot Italian Cappy-style ham. Also included is Steakhouse Roasted Bacon Heat and Eat, with a sell-by date of Aug. 15.

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