WASHINGTON — Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) expressed her disapproval of the response she received from Boar’s Head regarding the handling of the Virginia plant and its violations leading up to the Listeria outbreak.

DeLauro called the response from the company a “corporate dodge.”

“The American people will not be satisfied with marketing fluff or half-truths—they deserve straight answers,” she added.

In a letter sent on behalf of Boar’s Head, law firm Hogan Lovells stated that the company continues collaborating with the US Department of Agriculture and state government regulatory agencies and partnering with leading industry food safety experts on the recall.

“The company continues to review and analyze its processes and procedures—not just at the Jarratt, Va., facility where liverwurst was manufactured, but at all Boar’s Head production facilities,” the letter stated. “Boar’s Head has also been working tirelessly on steps to ensure that consumers can justifiably continue to trust the Boar’s Head brand.”

De Lauro added that there were other questions to be answered by Boar’s Head but did not receive the responses, including company plans to prevent noncompliance in the future. She also said she did not receive information on past food safety policies; on why staff did not act sooner to address food safety concerns; and how management would be held accountable.

Earlier this week, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced new steps to bolster Listeria oversight in the next 30 days.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the outbreak resulted in 10 reported deaths and 61 illnesses nationwide.

Through epidemiologic, laboratory and traceback data, the CDC discovered the Listeria outbreak was caused by meats sliced at deli counters, including Boar’s Head’s liverwurst.

Boar’s Head issued a recall for over 7 million lbs of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products in July 2024.

Documents from the USDA indicated details about food safety protocol going back two years at the Jarratt facility. While the USDA earlier disclosed 69 instances of noncompliance between Aug. 1, 2023, and Aug. 2, 2024, at the Jarratt facility, a more recently released report revealed violations as early as 2022.

Boar’s Head indefinitely closed its Virginia processing plant in mid-September, where the recalled products were manufactured. 

The company also appointed a  Food Safety Council of independent food experts in October. Boar’s Head recently launched a food safety website in late November.