Boar's Head-Linked Listeria Outbreak: Blumenthal Announces Federal Investigation into USDA Response
WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the below statement today on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspector General (IG) Phyllis Fong opening an investigation into the agency’s handling of repeated sanitary violations found at the Virginia Boar’s Head plant linked to a deadly nationwide Listeria outbreak.
“I welcome the Inspector General heeding my call for investigation of USDA’s abject failure to protect consumers against fatally contaminated Boar’s Head products,” said Blumenthal. “USDA took virtually no action—allowing Boar’s Head to continue business as usual at its chronically unsanitary Virginia plant—despite finding repeated serious violations. The Virginia plant should have been shut down years ago before people got sick or died from Listeria. The IG investigation is a vital first step to assure accountability and prevent such deadly mistakes from happening again.”
"When we discovered the failures within the Food and Drug Administration's response to credible reports of contaiminated infant formula leading to the 2022 crisis, I swiftly requested an OIG investigation to understand where the FDA fell short," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "Thanks to that investigation, we have a much clearer account of FDA's missteps. This will help us prevent similar issues in the future. In the same vein, I applaud USDA OIG Fong for opening an investigation to understand how the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) failed to act on repeated reports of 'noncompliance' with federal rules and poor facility conditions at Boar's Head, ultimately leading to a recall of Listeria-contaminated products in which ten lives were lost. To prevent future food safety crises, we must get to the bottom of what went wrong."
On September 5, 2024, Blumenthal wrote to IG Fong urging an investigation into USDA’s handling of previous safety violations at the Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia, following reports that the plant was permitted to continue operating even after government inspectors found dozens of instances of “noncompliance” with federal food safety rules and reported disturbing conditions at the plant.
The IG investigation announced today will determine if proper corrective and enforcement actions for reported noncompliances at the Boar’s Head plant were implemented; and if the agency has an effective process to identify, elevate, and address recurring noncompliances reported at State-inspected establishments to reduce the risk of adulterated products from entering the food supply.
On September 26, 2024, Blumenthal and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) wrote to USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney General (AG) Merrick Garland calling on USDA to work closely with DOJ to determine whether to bring criminal charges against Boar’s Head for their responsibility in the outbreak. Blumenthal and DeLauro also urged USDA to strengthen its Listeria prevention protocols and investigate other Boar’s Head locations for safety violations.
Blumenthal’s letter to IG Fong is available here. Blumenthal and DeLauro’s to Secretary Vilsack and AG Garland is available here.
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