Boar’s Head has expanded its recall of its meat products in response to the listeria outbreak that has killed two people and led to 33 hospitalizations.
The expanded recall includes 71 products produced from May 10 and July 29 under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names, including meat intended for slicing at delis and some packaged meats and poultry products sold at stores.
The recalled products have “sell by” dates ranging from July 29 to Oct. 17, according to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The recall affects an additional 7 million pounds of meat, including sliced ham, Canadian style bacon, some bolongies and other products.
The listeria outbreak has hospitalized people in 13 states, including one person in Pennsylvania and two people in New Jersey, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People became sick from the meat products between late May and mid-July, according to the FSIS.
Boar’s Head’s initial recall included its liverwurst products produced between June 11 and July 17 – about 200,000 pounds of meat. Its expanded recall includes all products made at its Jarratt facility in Virginia.
The connection between the outbreak and Boar’s Head meat was determined when a liverwurst sample collected by Maryland health officials tested positive for the same listeria strain that sickened two people.
The CDC, FSIS and state health organizations are continuing to investigate the outbreak.
Listeria is a bacterial illness most often linked to improperly-processed deli meat products and unpasteurized milk. It can be fatal to unborn babies, newborns and people with weakened immune systems, according to the Mayo Clinic. It also can cause serious illness to people over 65 and pregnant people.
Treatment can vary depending on the type and severity of the infection. Antibiotics are often used to curb the effects of listeria.
Listeria symptoms may include fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. Signs that a listeria infection has spread to the central nervous system include headache, stiff neck, confusion or changes in alertness, loss of balance and convulsions. Although symptoms usually appear within a few days of ingesting contaminated products, they can take up to a month or more to occur, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If you do not have symptoms, most health experts believe you do not need treatment, although the CDC advises people to talk to health care professionals if they think they may have eaten contaminated food.