The USDA is launching an internal investigation into its handling of the deadly Boar’s Head outbreak

An aerial view of the Boar’s Head processing plant, which has been linked to a fatal food poisoning outbreak, on August 29, 2024 in Jarratt, Virginia. AP Photo/Steve Helber, File

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials have launched an internal investigation into how the agency handled reports of serious problems at a Boar’s Head deli linked to a deadly listeria outbreak, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal said USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong is reviewing whether federal investigators and Virginia state inspectors adequately responded to dozens of reports of problems at the factory, including mold, insects, dripping water, and meat and grease residue on walls, floors, and equipment . Inspection reports dating back at least two years suggested the conditions could pose an “imminent threat” to food safety.

The action came in response to a Sept. 5 letter from Blumenthal calling for an investigation, he said.

“The USDA has taken virtually no action and allowed Boar’s Head to continue operating as usual at its chronically unsanitary plant in Virginia – despite repeatedly finding serious violations,” the Connecticut Democrat said in a statement.

At least 10 people have died and nearly 50 have been hospitalized in 19 states since May after eating Boar’s Head products contaminated with listeria, including liver sausage, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After recalling more than 7 million pounds of deli meat distributed across the country, Boar’s Head officials closed the Jarratt, Virginia, plant and permanently stopped producing liverwurst.

Officials from Fong’s office did not immediately confirm the investigation. Blumenthal declined to release the agency’s response. He said the internal investigation will evaluate the handling of recurring problems and whether government inspections properly reduced the risk of tainted products entering the food supply.

The Boar’s Head plant was inspected under a program that allows state inspectors to act on behalf of the federal agency.

In addition to the internal investigation, Blumenthal and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro last month called on the Justice Department to investigate whether criminal charges were warranted.

Officials from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service have refused to share documents about the agency’s inspections and enforcement actions at the plant, as well as inspection reports from the company’s eight other plants across the country. The agency denied Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by The Associated Press, saying releasing the records could “prejudice” and “hinder” potential law enforcement investigations. The AP is appealing the rejection.

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