Boar’s Head is reopening its Jarratt, Virginia plant that produced the deli meats behind a fatal listeriosis outbreak in 2024; however, inspections of the facility are being taken over by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) directly, instead of being contracted out to state public health agencies as was done in the past.

USDA also told the Associated Press (AP) that the Jarratt facility will be subject to heightened monitoring and inspections by FSIS for 90 days after its reopening.

Before the high-profile outbreak, in which 61 people were sickened and ten died across 19 states after eating Boar’s Head ready-to-eat (RTE) deli meats contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes, the company’s Jarratt plant, which produced the tainted meats, was inspected under federal-state cooperative agreements. These agreements, known as Talmadge-Aiken (TA) programs, allow inspectors from state public health agencies to step in for USDA-FSIS inspectors when conducting routine facility inspections.  

However, USDA documents that came to light after the national listeriosis outbreak revealed years of food safety and hygiene non-compliances recorded by onsite inspectors at the Jarratt plant that went unresolved. These breaches included the presence of mold and insects, meat residues on processing equipment, rust and chipping paint throughout the facility, dripping condensation, and numerous other hazards.

The severity of the food safety problems reported by inspectors at the Boar’s Head plant, and the fact that they went unresolved, “raises concerns about communication between state and federal officials when problems occur,” Sandra Eskin, CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness and former USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, told AP.

In fact, the conditions at the Jarratt plant leading to the Boar’s Head listeriosis outbreak prompted USDA-FSIS to make changes to its TA programs through updated agreements and instructions, enhanced training, and greater oversight.

Although Boar’s Head has publicized its efforts to strengthen food safety companywide, following the announcement of the Jarratt plant’s planned reopening, additional inspection documents were obtained by AP showing that the chronically insanitary conditions seen at the Jarratt plant continue to plague other Boar’s Head facilities across the U.S.

USDA taking direct responsibility for inspections at Boar’s Head’s Jarratt facility will “ensure the establishment consistently and effectively implements its corrected food safety plans,” The agency told AP. Stricter enforcement will be enacted if lapses occur.