U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal today called on the USDA and the U.S. Department of Justice to hold Boar’s Head accountable for the deadly Listeria outbreak linked to liverwurst deli meat produced at their Jarratt, VA facility.
In a letter to USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick Garland, Blumenthal urged USDA to work closely with the DOJ to determine whether to pursue criminal charges against Boar’s Head for their responsibility in the outbreak, which has caused ten deaths and dozens of hospitalizations around the world. the country. Blumenthal and DeLauro also urged USDA to strengthen its Listeria prevention protocols and investigate other Boar’s Head locations for safety violations.
“The time for action is long overdue, and we urge your agencies to work together to seek immediate justice for affected consumers and prevent this from happening again,” wrote DeLauro and Blumenthal, Democrats from Connecticut .
“Going forward, it is critical that the agency takes this matter seriously and takes the necessary steps to address the concerns raised by this outbreak. We urge USDA to work closely with the DOJ to determine whether Boar’s Head should face criminal charges for their responsibility in this crisis.”
Blumenthal and DeLauro also called on USDA to improve oversight of our food supply: “We also urge the agency to initiate reforms to prevent similar situations from repeating at other facilities. In particular, the agency should review its regulations requiring companies to test for Listeria in the processing environment and consider ways to strengthen these requirements, including revising the agency’s proposed 2000 rule requiring minimum sampling for Listeria at surfaces that come into contact with food.”
“We cannot let big companies get away with endangering public health. It is imperative that we hold food companies to the highest standards so that Americans can feel safe buying groceries and feeding their families. Boar’s Head must be held accountable. Those affected by this crisis deserve more than an apology; they deserve justice,” DeLauro and Blumenthal concluded.
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