CDC: Use Extra Deli Meat Care, Boar’s Head Listeria Recall Widens

PROVIDENCE, RI — The July 26 Boar’s Head deli meat listeria recall has  been expanded, prompting the CDC to advise extra care when eating deli meats.

Boar’s Head is recalling approximately 7 million additional pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.

This expansion includes 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024 under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. These items include meat intended for slicing at retail delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations. These products have “sell by” dates ranging from 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24. View full product list. View labels.

“Given that a large Listeria outbreak is currently being investigated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that higher-risk people not eat deli meats sliced at deli counters unless those products are reheated to an internal temperature of 165F or until steaming hot. Higher-risk populations include pregnant people, people who are aged 65 or older, and people who have weakened immune systems. (This recommendation is in addition to not eating the recalled Boar’s Head products.)

The products subject to the Boar’s Head recall were distributed to retail locations nationwide. The products shipped to retailers bear establishment number “EST. 12612” or “P-12612” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels.

The problem was discovered when the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was notified that a liverwurst sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for L. monocytogenes. The Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department, collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store for testing as part of an outbreak investigation of L. monocytogenes infections. Further testing determined the product sample tested positive for the outbreak strain. Anyone concerned about illness should contact a healthcare provider.