Boar’s Head executives should face criminal charges, according to federal lawmakers, who claim that they should be held accountable after a 10th person died from a listeria infection tied to the deli meats.
CNN reports that Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, both of Connecticut, asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Justice to collaborate in deciding if Boar’s Head should be charged with a crime in connection with the incident in a letter they sent on Thursday, Sept. 26.
“It is unacceptable that Boar’s Head did not take sufficient action to rectify these conditions that resulted in repeated violations for similar issues,” the Democrats wrote in their letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick Garland. “The time for action is long overdue, and we urge your agencies to work together to seek immediate justice for impacted consumers and to prevent this from happening again.”
Additionally, Blumenthal and DeLauro said that by permitting Boar’s Head production to continue in “horrific conditions” at the Virginia plant, the USDA “failed to uphold its congressional mandate.” They asked the FDA to investigate other Boar’s Head sites, test more plants for listeria, and think about implementing automated triggers for increased penalties for businesses that exhibit “a pattern of non-compliance.”
The Department of Justice confirmed that it received the letter, but did not comment on it to the outlet. The letter came shortly after a 10th death in connection to the listeria outbreak was announced in New York.
Boar’s Head Plant Posed ‘Imminent Threat’
An explosive report released earlier this month suggested that the Boar’s Head plant that prompted the listeria outbreak that has claimed 10 lives constituted an “imminent threat” to consumers.
U.S. inspectors found that the plant’s facilities represented an “imminent threat” to public health due to extensive rust, deli meats exposed to moist ceilings, green mold, and wall fissures.
But the U.S. Agriculture Department spared the Jarratt, Virginia, manufacturer from severe sanctions that might have included a warning letter or even a suspension of operations. Many problems persisted for two years after the initial report, according to subsequent inspections, although the company continued to manufacture a significant amount of beef and pork products, including liverwurst.
Since then, Boar’s Head has vowed to no longer make liverwurst, and it has shut down the Jarratt plant indefinitely.
