JARRATT, Va. (WAVY) – The Virginia Boar’s Head plant linked to a fatal listeria outbreak is closing indefinitely.
“This is a dark moment in our company’s history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry,” Boar’s Head wrote Friday in a lengthy update to its recall page.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 Union, which represents 35,000 food service and other workers in the eastern U.S., shared a statement on Friday after learning the news about the plant in Jarratt, Virginia.
“Everyone agrees this unprecedented tragedy was not the fault of the workforce, so it is especially unfortunate that the Jarratt plant must close indefinitely and put so many men and women out of work,” the statement reads in part.
The union, though, says it has reached a deal with Boar’s Head that allows workers to transfer to another Boar’s Head facility or receive a severance package “well above and beyond what is required under the law.”
“In the meantime, we will continue to meet the needs of our members to get them back on their feet, including coordinating with management and the state to provide job placement and other support services for those who choose not to remain with the company,” the union says.
At least nine people have died and dozens have been hospitalized in the wake of the listeria outbreak, including an 88-year-old Newport News man whose family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Boar’s Head. A Williamsburg woman has also sued after she said she fell ill from eating Boar’s Head meat.
Government inspectors say the Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt repeatedly violated federal regulations, with “black patches of mold” on the ceiling and “heavy discolored meat buildup.” The outbreak prompted the company to recall more than 7 million pounds of products.