Hog’s Head faces legal scrutiny from feds over deadly listeria outbreak found in deli meat

Boar’s Head, the deli meat company at the center of a deadly listeria poisoning outbreak, is being investigated by law enforcement officials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in response to government requests for records.

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service officials declined to share documents related to the agency’s inspections and enforcement at the Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Va., plus inspection reports from eight other company plants across the US.

The records — which FSIS acknowledged included dozens of pages of documentation — were withheld because they were compiled — for a law enforcement purpose that includes both civil and criminal statutes — according to a letter sent Friday in response. of Freedom of Information Act requests filed by the Associated Press.

Releasing the records could “interfere” with and “hinder” the government’s investigation, the letter said.

The AP requested data on the listeria outbreak that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has killed 10 people and sickened at least 50 in 19 states since May.

Listeria bacteria were first discovered in pig head liver samples and later traced to human disease.

Previously released records revealed problems including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and grease residue on walls, floors and fixtures dating back at least two years.

The pig’s head earlier recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed to stores across the country.

This month, the Sarasota, Florida-based company said it has closed its Virginia plant and permanently halted liver production.

The Boar’s Head is facing several lawsuits filed by the victims and their families.

FSIS officials did not respond to AP emails seeking additional comment about the data.

Justice Department officials declined to comment on possible legal action against the Pig head.

This week, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro called on the Departments of Agriculture and Justice to “work closely” to determine whether to file criminal charges against Boar’s head in connection with the crisis.

In response, internal USDA investigators are reviewing the agency’s work and will decide by the end of the year whether to open an investigation, according to Blumenthal’s office.

Previous outbreaks of food poisoning have resulted in criminal and civil penalties.

In 2020, Chipotle agreed to pay a record $25 million to settle criminal charges over tainted food that sickened more than 1,100 people in outbreaks between 2015 and 2018.

In 2015, former Peanut Corporation of America executive Stewart Parnell was sentenced to 28 years in prison after a salmonella outbreak in his company’s peanut butter killed nine people and sickened more than 700.