— OPINION —

The New York Times just dropped: Imminent Threat’ Found at Boar’s Head Plant 2 Years Before Fatal Listeria Outbreak

U.S. inspectors listed serious problems in 2022 that could have resulted in strict measures like a pause in production. But the plant continued operating, and some conditions persisted.

Here are the 2022 – 2024 Inspections

Searchable PDFs:

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/files/2024/09/Non-Compliance_Reports-812023-To-822024.pdf

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/files/2024/09/Non-Compliance_Reports-812023-To-822024-1.pdf

Two years before a deadly listeria outbreak, U.S. inspectors warned that conditions at a Boar’s Head plant posed an “imminent threat” to public health, citing extensive rust, deli meats exposed to wet ceilings, green mold and holes in the walls.

But the U.S. Agriculture Department did not impose strict measures on the plant, in Jarratt, Va., which could have ranged from a warning letter to a suspension of operations.

Read full article here – https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/10/health/boars-head-deli-meat-listeria.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Jk4.tzyD.xYxSoJJNPCde&smid=url-share

For Gawds sake – where was the food safety culture – or, any common sense at Boar’s Head, and where the hell was FSIS – the public deserves and will get answers.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News,click here)