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USDA documented insects and slime at Boar's Head plants, records show

Government inspectors documented unsanitary conditions at several Boar's Head deli meat plants, not just the factory that was shut down last year after a deadly outbreak of listeria poisoning , federal records show.
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FILE - A Boar's Head logo is seen at a bodega in New York, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Nano, File)

Government inspectors documented unsanitary conditions at several Boar's Head deli meat plants, not just the factory that last year after a deadly outbreak of , federal records show.

Newly released reports from Boar's Head plants in New Castle, Indiana; Forrest City, Arkansas; and Petersburg, Virginia, described multiple instances of meat and fat residue left on equipment and walls, dripping condensation falling on food, mold, insects and other problems dating back roughly six years. Last May, one inspector documented 鈥済eneral filth鈥 in a room at the Indiana plant.

The U.S. Agriculture Department released the in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from The Associated Press and other news organizations.

The problems documented at the three factories echo some of the violations found at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant linked to the food poisoning outbreak. The newly released reports describe:

鈥 Equipment 鈥渃overed in meat scraps鈥 in 2019.

鈥 鈥淒ry crusted meat from the previous day's production鈥 and 鈥渄ark, stinky residue鈥 left behind in 2020.

鈥 A doorway covered in 鈥渄ried meat juices and grime鈥 in 2021.

鈥 Green mold and flaking paint in 2022.

鈥 鈥淯nidentified slime鈥 and 鈥渁n abundance of insects鈥 in 2023.

鈥 A puddle of 鈥渂lood, debris and trash鈥 in 2024.

Boar's Head officials said in an email Monday that the violations documented in the three factories 鈥渄o not meet our high standards.鈥 The company's remaining plants continue to operate under normal USDA oversight, they added. The Sarasota, Florida-based company has marketed itself for decades as a premier provider of deli meats and cheeses, advertising 鈥渆xcellence that stands apart in every bite.鈥

Records from a fourth Boar鈥檚 Head plant in Holland, Michigan, do not show similar problems.

Boar's Head stopped making liverwurst and shuttered its Jarratt, Virginia, plant in September after listeria poisoning tied to the product sickened more than 60 people in 19 states, including 10 who died.

Health officials in Maryland initially discovered listeria contamination in a package of unopened liverwurst. The company of ready-to-eat deli meat and poultry sold nationwide. About 2.6 million pounds was eventually recovered, according to the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The conditions revealed at the other Boar's Head plants are 鈥渞eally concerning,鈥 said Thomas Gremillion, director of food policy at the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group.

鈥淚t's reasonable for some people to decide they don't want to eat deli meat,鈥 he said. 鈥淐ompanies like Boar's Head, they should have to earn consumers' trust.鈥

Boar鈥檚 Head faces multiple lawsuits connected to the outbreak.

鈥淭his makes me extremely angry and sad,鈥 said Garett Dorman, whose mother, Linda Dorman, 73, of Oxford, Pennsylvania, died in July after eating Boar鈥檚 Head liverwurst. She had cancer, and liverwurst was one of the few foods she would eat, he said. He is suing the company, according to court documents filed by Marler Clark, a Seattle law firm.

鈥淚 believe Boar鈥檚 Head needs to completely revamp their program at all of their facilities," Dorman said in an email. "Boar's Head needs to put the welfare of people as their highest priority.鈥

Lawmakers including Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro have sharply criticized USDA officials for not taking stronger action against the company, despite documentation of repeated problems. The USDA inspector general is reviewing the agency's handling of the situation. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether criminal charges are warranted.

鈥淭he new records released by FSIS should be considered by the DOJ, especially as they potentially point to a wider, systemic problem,鈥 the lawmakers said in a statement. 鈥淭hese reports make clear that there is a culture of noncompliance of critical safety and sanitary protocols.鈥

In , USDA officials said 鈥渋nadequate sanitation practices鈥 at the Jarratt plant contributed to the outbreak. Product residue, condensation and structural problem in the buildings were key factors, the agency found. State inspectors working in partnership with USDA had documented mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment, .

USDA officials have promised new measures to control listeria in plants that make ready-to-eat foods, including broader testing, updated training and tools, increased inspections, more food safety reviews and stronger oversight of state inspectors who act on behalf of the agency.

Boar's Head is hiring a 鈥渇ood safety culture manager,鈥 according to Frank Yiannas, a former official at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who is now advising the company.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute鈥檚 Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Jonel Aleccia, The Associated Press