Mold, mildew and insects were found by inspectors in the Boar’s Head plant at the center of the multistate listeria outbreak.
Reports from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service showed the $1billion company was warned of 69 violations at the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, in the past year.
Concerns were raised before Boar’s Head deli meat triggered the biggest listeria outbreak in the US in over a decade — with dozens of its products contaminated.
In one report, inspectors said they saw flies going in and out of a vat of pickles, while a trail of ants were witnessed crawling up walls nearby.
Inspectors also detailed how mold and mildew had built up on surfaces — and that, in some areas of the factory, there was a ‘rancid smell’ and ‘ample blood’ covering sections of the floor.
Pictured above is the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, at the center of the Listeria outbreak
This is the outside of the plant, which Boar’s Head said has now been closed for cleaning
A total of nine people are now reported to have died after consuming Boar’s Head meats, while 57 have been hospitalized across 18 states including New York, Florida and New Jersey.
It is the biggest food-borne disease outbreak to hit the US since the cantaloupe outbreak in 2011, when cantaloupe contaminated with listeria sickened 147 people and lead to 33 deaths.
Among those to die was father-of-three and Holocaust survivor Gunter Morgenstein, who had regularly consumed the company’s liverwurst because it reminded him of his native Germany.
Boar’s Head has now recalled about 7.2million pounds of deli meats over the outbreak.
It has also closed the Jarratt plant for deep-cleaning and sent all staff to be retrained.
The records, revealed under a Freedom of Information request by CBS News, show Boar’s Head was warned about issues at the plant from August last year to July 27 — two day’s after its first recall was announced.
The above map shows the states where illnesses linked to the deli meat listeria outbreak have been reported
Images of the mold and insects in the building are yet to be revealed.
Boar’s Head said in a statement: ‘We deeply regret the impact this recall has had on affected families.
‘No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for those who have suffered losses or endured illness.’
Just in July this year, the month the company ordered the first recall, they were warned of more than 15 violations in safety standards.
This included mold growing around the sink where employees washed their hands before handling meats, a black mold on the outside of four steel vats and at least ten dead and alive insects being found in a holding area for the products.
In this month, inspectors also found that condensation was dripping from a ceiling with a dark tan or brown tint onto products, including Beechwood Hams.
A clear liquid was also observed dripping from the ceiling in one area, with a fan blowing the liquid onto uncovered hams in the hallway.
Other violations included a warning in January that there was a black mold-like substance on the walls of the room near the smokehouse, and a warning in February of ‘ample amounts of blood’ on the floor of the factory.
Trevor Craig, a food safety expert with Microbac Laboratories in New Jersey, said that what stood out to him was the sheer number of violations spotted at the facility.
‘Forty-four pages is a lot of findings to have,’ he said, ‘and that really stood out for me’.
‘What stood out to me more in these reports was the trends which we do see in a lot of industries.
‘In a large industry, if they are busy, sometimes things can start to slide and you see that in a lot of places — maybe the cleaning is not as in-depth or the monitoring is not as good.
‘And, in these situations, things can get really bad really really fast because of the volume of product moving through the facility.’
He added: ‘At home, you can become blind to clutter and dust. That can also happen in a food facility if you are not bringing in fresh eyes regularly.’
The CDC is urging people to check inspection labels before consuming any Boar’s Heada products, since some have sell-by dates up to October 2024.
Gunter ‘Garshon’ Morgenstein, a father-of-three from Newport, Virginia, is pictured above with his wife Peggy (left). He died after suffering from a listeria infection after eating Boar’s Head deli meats. Sue Fleming, also 88, and from Missouri, is also suing over her listeria infection
He had eaten a Boar’s Head liverwurst in the day’s before falling ill. This meat is now included in the multi-state recall for listeria contaminated products
Recalled products have the codes EST.12612 or P-12612 inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.
Those who purchased the products are recommended to throw them away and return them to stores for a full refund.
Customers are also being urged to clean their refrigerators, containers and surfaces that may have touched the sliced deli meats.
Keeping the meats cold does not eliminate listeria.
The bacteria can persist on surfaces for weeks and get into slicing tools and countertops that are not deep-cleaned regularly.
Listeria — which kills about one in five of those it infects — is particularly dangerous for the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions.
These individuals have weaker immune systems, meaning they may be less able to fight off an infection.
Symptoms can start a few days to 10 weeks after infection, and initially begin as fever, chills, stomach cramps and diarrhea.
But as the infection progresses patients can also suffer from convulsions, loss of balance and confusion.
Infections can be treated using antibiotics, which are given intravenously and can kill off the bacteria.
