Is Boar's Head deli meat safe to eat? What experts say amid listeria outbreak

Boar's Head, generally considered a premiere deli meat brand, continues to grapple with a listeria outbreak − the largest since the cantaloupe outbreak of 2011 − that has left 10 dead.

As of late September, 59 people have been hospitalized across 19 states because of the outbreak tied to Boar's Head products. With lawsuits and investigations still pending, many consumers might be wondering: is it safe to eat Boar's Head deli meat again?

While there is at least one ongoing investigation that may have legal ramifications, Boar's Head has said that affected foods were removed from shelves "swiftly," and that products currently available for sale are not part of any recall and are safe to eat.

However, the outbreak's serious toll has likely marred the once-revered brand's reputation. Before you head to the deli counter, here's what Boar's Head and other experts want you to know.

The human toll:His dad died from listeria tied to Boar’s Head meat. He needed to share his story.

Boar's Head says all products currently available are safe

After Boar's Head recalled all deli meats produced at the Jarratt, Virginia facility on July 29, the company said in an email to USA TODAY and on its website that "it took immediate action" to remove all the products from commerce.

It advised that only products on the recall list purchased before July 31 should be discarded, but Boar’s Head products currently available in food retail and food service outlets are not part of the recall.

In the Q&A section currently available on Boar's Head website about the outbreak, it again answers the question, "Can I consume Boar’s Head products available for sale today?" with the same answer: "Boar’s Head products currently available in food retail and food service outlets are not part of the recall."

On Sept. 13, Boar's Head announced not only that it would be closing the Jarratt plant permanently, but would also discontinue the production of liverwurst indefinitely, saying the root cause of the contamination was discovered to be the result of a "specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst."

On Friday, Boar's Head representative Elizabeth Ward told USA TODAY that the company has an "unwavering commitment to food safety and a long heritage of manufacturing high-quality and delicious products."

"The company has been working hard on steps to ensure that consumers can continue to trust the Boar’s Head brand," Ward said, adding that the company has appointed "renowned food safety expert" Frank Yiannas as Boar’s Head’s chief food safety advisor "on an interim basis."

"He will also chair the recently formed 'Boar’s Head Food Safety Advisory Council,' comprising independent industry-leading food safety experts," the company said.

CDC reiterates food safety guidelines

A spokesperson for the CDC pointed USA TODAY to the agency's general guidance on food safety and avoiding listeria exposure. Regardless of the status of any given outbreak, the CDC suggests following preventative measures, especially for those more susceptible to the consequences of a listeriosis infection such as people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older or have weakened immune systems.

The CDC webpage on listeria notes that soft cheese and raw milk and dairy, deli meats and prepared foods, pate and cold-smoked fish and sprouts and melons are foods most likely to be infected with listeria.

Products sold at deli counters, especially those sliced or prepared at the deli, can become contaminated via contact with deli equipment, surfaces, hands, and other food. Refrigeration does not kill listeria, though proper heating can.

As a result, anyone, especially those at high risk, should practice steps like washing hands, kitchen tools, fridge and cooking surfaces before, during and after handling food; using separate cutting boards, plates, utensils and storage space for raw produce and raw animal products; cooking foods to a proper internal temperature; and keeping foods properly refrigerated to slow the growth of bacteria.

USDA says investigation is ongoing

In a statement to USA TODAY on Friday, a representative for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said that "any death, any hospitalization, related to foodborne illness is one too many."

"We take very seriously matters of public health and corporate accountability, and an investigation into this matter remains underway and ongoing," the inspection service said.

 In addition to taking a holistic look at Boar’s Head establishments across the country, the agency said, the ongoing investigation into the matter will include a "top-to-bottom review" to determine contributing factors that led to the outbreak at this particular facility, what needs to be improved, and, with a particular focus on state inspection models, where policy changes are needed to prevent oversight gaps.

Expert: 'Safest time to buy Boar's Head'

Boar's Head is likely tightening and stepping up its sanitation and environmental monitoring processes, Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate at Penn State Department of Food Science, told USA TODAY. One of the primary means of controlling listeria is controlling the sanitary cleanliness in the packaging environment. This will likely be done via increased sampling and testing at facilities and aggressive reactions to any adverse findings, he said.

"This is probably the safest time to buy Boar’s Head," Bucknavage said. "For one, they shut the troubled facility down. Two, a company that has experienced an issue like this should be on high alert, checking and double checking their systems to ensure safe product, and the USDA is definitely on high alert, ensuring that Boar’s Head product being produced is safe."

The seriousness of the outbreak may also lead to a safer deli counter as a whole, he said.

"In fact, this is really the history of regulations in the United States. Most food regulation changes occur in light of issues such as outbreaks," he said. Manufacturers of similar food are more likely to be double and triple checking their own products and procedures more carefully and, on a larger scale, we may expect to see some enhanced protocols at the regulatory level. In some past cases, he said, Congress has even stepped in to make major changes.

Expert: 'Broken the trust of the consumer'

Food scientist and food industry consultant Dr. Bryan Quoc Le had a more skeptical view of the situation.

"I think the whole scenario has broken the trust of the consumer," he told USA TODAY. "As a personal consumer and someone that is in this industry, I would probably tell my family members don't eat Boar's Head for at least six months, if not a year."

The reason for this, he said, is not because he believes Boar's Head products are still infected with listeria, but because adjustments and improvements to the company's culture and approach to food safety will take some time to navigate and implement.

"It's not like you flip a coin and everything is okay," he said. "Company culture policies that were put in place that caused this issue at this plant - who's to say that might not be the case at other plants? And it may not be listeria, it may not be so serious, but it could be even minor food poisoning."