To date, 2.7 million pounds of products processed at the Jarratt, VA plant operated by Boar’s Head have been returned.  This represents approximately 40 percent of the total recall and assumes that 4.3 million pounds comprising 71 processed products were consumed since product is presumably now beyond expiry date. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have documented 59 cases of listeriosis with ten fatalities among nineteen states.  Since no incident cases have been recorded in recent weeks, the event is probably now over, notwithstanding an incubation period that may extend to 70 days.  It is evident that many mild cases of listeriosis occurred that were not diagnosed.  The elderly, pregnant and immunosuppressed are most susceptible to listeriosis and developed symptoms requiring medical intervention.

At this time, the Jarratt plant remains indefinitely closed.  The brand image of Boar’s Head and Old Country are profoundly degraded, and the sales volume of deli meats has fallen sharply since July.

Apart from the legal claims, the integrity of the Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Virginia Department of Agriculture inspectors responsible for overseeing the plant is in question by Congress. The consequences of the outbreak are expected to resonate throughout the processed meat industry through to 2025.