Listeria Outbreak Linked to Boar's Head Meat Products

What we know:

On July 26, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted a food safety alert linked to Boar's Head meat products due to possible Listeria contamination. The current Listeria outbreak map shows the majority of reported cases of illness in New York State.  If you have Boar's Head products in your home, check the following product recalls and take precautions, especially if you are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system.

Recalled Foods:

Boar’s Head Ready-to-Eat Liverwurst Products

• Produced between June 11, 2024 and July 17, 2024, and have a 44-day shelf-life
• “Boar’s Head Strassburger Brand Liverwurst made in Virginia”
• 5 pound loaves in plastic casing, or various weight packages sliced in retail delis
• Sell by dates range from July 25, 2024, to August 30, 2024

Other Boar’s Head Deli Meat Products

Recalled products have “EST. 12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels. Many types and sizes were recalled with sell-by dates of August 10 or August 15.

• Virginia Ham Old Fashioned Ham
• Italian Cappy Style Ham
• Extra Hot Italian Cappy Style Ham
• Bologna
• Beef Salami
• Steakhouse Roasted Bacon Heat & Eat
• Garlic Bologna
• Beef Bologna

See the recall notice for more details about all recalled products.

Listeria Symptoms

Listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. This is because Listeria is more likely to spread beyond their gut to other parts of their body, resulting in a severe condition known as invasive listeriosis.

• For people who are pregnant, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in their newborn.
• For people who are 65 years or older or who have a weakened immune system, Listeria often results in hospitalization and sometimes death.

Symptoms usually start within 2 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after.

• Pregnant people usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness.
• People who are not pregnant usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.

For more information about Listeria, see the CDC's Listeria Questions and Answers page.

What you should do?

Listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms:

• People who are not pregnant usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. They may also get a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures.
• Pregnant people usually have fever, muscle aches, and tiredness. However, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth. It can also cause serious illness or death in newborns.

For people who are generally healthy and not at higher risk of serious infection:

• Do not eat recalled meats. Throw them away or contact stores about returns.
• Check your refrigerator for any recalled deli meats and throw them away or return them to the store. Listeria can grow on foods kept in the refrigerator.
• Clean your refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have touched recalled meats.

What people at high risk should do?

CDC always recommends people at higher risk for listeriosis avoid eating meats sliced at the deli or heat them to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot before eating.  

If you are pregnant, are aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system:

• Do not eat recalled deli meats. Throw them away or contact stores about returns.
• In addition, do not eat any other deli meats you get sliced at deli counters, unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot. Let it cool before you eat it.
  • Listeria can grow on foods kept in the refrigerator, but it is easily killed by heating food to a high enough temperature.
• Clean your refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have touched sliced deli meats.  This is especially important if you purchased any of the recalled deli products.

Learn more about the recent Listeria outbreak and recall of Boar's Head products from the CDC

How to clean your fridge because of a food recall

FDA Current Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts

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