The number of people who have died from food poisoning after eating contaminated deli meat manufactured in Virginia has increased to 9, and the number of patients is expected to increase.
According to an announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the 28th of last month, since the listeria alert was issued for processed meat products from Boar’s Head in July, at least 9 people have died from food poisoning in 18 states across the U.S. and at least 57 patients have been treated in hospitals.
Boar’s Head’s Virginia manufacturing plant is in Jarratt, a small town about 58 miles south of Richmond, and the products made there were found to have been manufactured in unsanitary conditions that did not meet the standards of the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The factory in question was found to have continued to produce products without any improvements made to the violations, with a total of 69 violations detected over a period of approximately one year from August 1st of last year to July 27th.
According to the data, investigators who visited the site found the following violations inside the factory: Discolored chunks of meat found; Large pieces of meat scattered on the floor and meat flesh stuck to the walls; Black mold growing on the ceiling; Meat blood pooling on the floor; Foul odors coming from the cooler.
Listeria bacteria can multiply on floors, walls, drains, cracks, and parts of food processing equipment that are difficult to clean.
This food poisoning incident is the largest in the United States in 13 years, and the factory in question will reportedly be closed until it is proven that it can manufacture products normally.