Boar’s Head reopens Virginia deli meat plant tied to deadly listeria outbreak

Boar’s Head has reopened its Jarratt, Virginia deli meat plant that was at the center of a deadly listeria outbreak last year. The facility resumed limited operations on Monday after being shuttered for nearly 17 months following contamination that claimed 10 lives and sickened dozens of consumers.

The 120-year-old company, headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, has made significant changes to its production practices. Following the outbreak, Boar’s Head permanently discontinued liverwurst production and recalled approximately 7 million pounds of deli products.

“That facility has literally been rebuilt from the inside out,” said Natalie Dyenson, Boar’s Head’s chief food safety officer, in an interview Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that federal inspectors required for operations have returned to the site.

According to Dyenson, the company completely overhauled the facility, replacing floors, drains and air filtration systems while creating separate production areas for raw and ready-to-eat products. Nearly 12,000 environmental swabs were taken to test for listeria, and new management and staff were hired as part of the comprehensive rebuild.

The reopening comes with heightened scrutiny, however, as recent inspections at another Boar’s Head facility in Petersburg, Virginia, revealed ongoing sanitation issues similar to those that may have contributed to the fatal outbreak.

Records obtained through a federal Freedom of Information Act request detailed dozens of “noncompliance reports” between July and December 2025 at the Petersburg plant. These violations included dripping condensation, meat residue on equipment and in drains, and failures to follow the company’s own written listeria testing protocols.

One inspector noted in October: “Today’s incident marks the fifth occurrence of this noncompliance in a month,” after discovering ham molds “dirty with smeared residue.” These recent findings follow previous inspections dating back several years that documented what inspectors described as “general filth” at another Boar’s Head location.

Dyenson acknowledged that documentation of continued problems “sounds very disturbing” but insisted the company is working aggressively to eliminate instances of noncompliance across all its facilities. She maintained that the deadly outbreak stemmed specifically from issues with liverwurst equipment and production rather than dried food residue and other documented problems.

“I know it sounds gross, but from a food safety risk perspective, that dried-on residue has gone through a lethality step” that kills germs, she explained.

As part of its safety overhaul, Boar’s Head has voluntarily adopted a higher USDA standard of listeria control that requires a “kill step” to prevent the bacteria from growing in most finished deli products. “Have confidence that we’re doing everything we can as quickly as we can,” Dyenson said, “but also know that there is this above-and-beyond step that we’ve taken to add that extra layer of protection.”

Food safety advocates remain cautious about the company’s return to production. Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports, noted in an email that rebuilding consumer trust will be difficult “if the inspection reports from Petersburg highlight a deeper food safety cultural problem within the company.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat who has been critical of Boar’s Head, called for accountability, stating the company “must be held fully accountable for this repeated pattern of jeopardizing food safety through unsanitary conditions.” DeLauro noted that Boar’s Head officials declined to appear in person before the Congressional Food Safety Caucus, instead providing written responses to concerns.

“In the meantime, I will be demanding answers as to why they feel these plants are suitable for continued operations,” she said in a statement.

The listeria outbreak has resulted in multiple lawsuits from affected individuals and families of those who died. Several survivors declined to comment on the latest inspection reports, citing financial settlements with the company that included nondisclosure agreements.

The Jarratt plant’s reopening represents a critical moment for Boar’s Head as it attempts to restore its reputation while implementing new safety measures across its production facilities.