The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an expanded recall of deli meat potentially contaminated with listeria on Monday. So, on top of the 200,000 pounds of ready-to-eat products removed on Monday that were linked to a listeria outbreak, Boar’s Head had to recall 7 million more pounds of meat on Tuesday.
An initial recall of 100 tons of Boar’s Head products was issued last week by the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) after at least two people died and 34 others were hospitalized in 13 states from potentially tainted meat.
The expanded recall includes 71 products intended to be sliced at delis, as well as some packaged meat made between May 10 and July 29 under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. These include Virginia ham, beef salami, and bologna processed at a Boar’s Head facility in Jarratt, Va.
The problem was discovered when a liverwurst sample collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland tested positive for listeria. Further testing showed that the type of bacteria was the same strain causing illnesses in the nationwide outbreak, which were reported between late May and July.
“Based on this new information, we took steps to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect public health,” Boar’s Head said in a statement on its website on Tuesday. The company has also halted production of ready-to-eat foods at the plant.
The meat was distributed to stores nationwide, as well as to the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Panama, Agriculture Department officials said.
Consumers who have the recalled products in their homes should not eat them and should discard them or return them to stores for a refund, company officials said. Health officials advised that refrigerators should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to prevent contamination of other foods.
An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year, and about 260 die, according to the CDC.
Listeria infections typically cause fever, muscle aches, and tiredness and may lead to stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Symptoms can occur quickly or up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food. The infections are especially dangerous for people older than 65, those with weakened immune systems, and during pregnancy.