I just learned of the death of someone who was a hero and a friend, Roni Austin (Rudolph). She will be missed. Thanks to Wiki for a great summary of her heroic work. Roni and Dick did not find out about the cause of Lauren’s death until late January when an article about the Jack […]
Imagine that the phone call comes or an email pops into your inbox – “Sir, we have been contacted by the health authorities and they say our product has been linked to illnesses and deaths. What do we do?” So, what do you do? Boar’s Head’s CEO, received that call. Now, what has he done […]
Foodborne Illness Litigations and Lessons for the Food Sector 13:00 – 14:00, Wednesday 18th September 2024 Speaker: Bill Marler Chair: Professor Lisa Ackerley Bill Marler is a lawyer best known for his work in food safety and foodborne illness litigation. He is the founder of Marler Clark, a law firm based in Seattle, Washington, that specializes […]
Good to see FSIS getting off the sidelines on this one – finally. https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2024/09/Boars-Head-NOS-July-2024_view.pdf
The below press release was posted not he Boar’s Head website a few hours ago. It is sad that Boar’s Head management let the food safety culture go so far down the drain that it requires closing a factory and putting employees on the street. The impact on this small Virginia town will be felt […]
“deficiencies associated with the establishment’s physical conditions were observed that could pose imminent threat to product.” 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 […]
This is a crime. We are now beyond six years from the date that the NICD announced the association between Tiger Brands’ polony products and the outbreak, and the work done by all parties has only generated more evidence that the NICD’s and Tiger Brands’ conclusions are accurate. There is no evidence to the contrary. […]
The great thing about my job is that I know a lot of smart people in Food Safety who really care. Over the last few days people have sent me questions that need to be asked and answered by Boar’s Head and the regulators, FSIS. Feel free to shoot me any other suggestions. USDA FSIS […]
Where recalled product was sold list has been released – it is massive – https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2024/09/RC-023-2024Retail-List.pdf Listeria is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is ubiquitous and can grow under either anaerobic (without oxygen) or aerobic (with oxygen) conditions. A. The Prevalence of Listeria in Food and the Environment Listeriosis is one of the most important bacterial infections worldwide that arises […]
58 clinical WGS date range: 2024-06-10 to 2024-09-04 5 Liverwurst Isolates 1 Deli Meat Ham Isolate As of August 27, a total of 57 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from 18 states – Including: Arizona 1, Florida 3, Georgia 2, Illinois 1, Indiana 1, Maryland 8, Massachusetts 3, Minnesota 1, Missouri […]
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections. Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that eggs supplied by Milo’s Poultry Farms are contaminated with Salmonella and are making people sick. According […]
The Flathead City-County Health Department (FCCHD) and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) continue to work to investigate an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak originating in Flathead County. Copy of Complaint. Illnesses have been reported in Montana residents as well as people who visited Montana over the 4th of July week including Arizona, Oregon, Wyoming, […]
(Seattle) A federal lawsuit has been filed against Boar’s Head Provisions of Sarasota, Florida in the Eastern District of Virginia on behalf of Barbara Schmidt of Virginia, who spent six days in ICU and weeks in recovery after consuming Boar’s Head Liverwurst. She tested positive for Listeria, and it is a match to the outbreak strain. Cause No. […]
Dear Inspector General Fong, I write to request an investigation into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) handling of repeated sanitary violations found at the Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia. I am deeply concerned about the ongoing, nationwide listeria outbreak linked to recalled Boar’s Head deli meat produced at the plant. I am further […]
Fourth District Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan sent a letter today to Larry Helfant, the Chief Operating Officer, and to Jeff Szymanski, the plant manager in Jarratt. The deli meat contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for nine deaths and 57 hospitalizations across the country, and health officials continue to monitor for more deaths and hospitalizations linked to Boar’s Head products. Boar’s Head recalled more than 7 million pounds of ready-to-eat […]