A listeria outbreak that has so far led to 57 hospitalizations and 9 deaths has been traced back to Boar’s Head deli meats. The outbreak, which has spread to 18 states in the US, was initially traced back to Boar’s Head liverwurst and over 200,000 pounds of the product were recalled. After further inspection of the Jarratt, Virginia facility where the liverwurst is processed revealed numerous violations and a long track record of “noncompliance” with food safety regulations, the recall was expanded to include all products processed in that facility. Violations included the presence of insects (alive and dead), mold and mildew, pools of blood on the floor and rancid smells in the coolers.
Listeria is a food-born bacteria commonly found in deli meat and dairy products. It can lead to fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. For certain people, including those with weakened immune systems and newborn babies, it can lead to death. Although the potentially contaminated products were recalled months ago, it is expected that more illnesses and deaths will occur in the future. This is because the illness has a long incubation period, and the bacteria can survive refrigeration and freezing. Heating the product to the proper temperature will kill the bacteria. However, most people don’t heat their deli meat. After all, they’re called cold cuts for a reason.
Discussion Questions:
- Use a supply and demand graph to show how equilibrium price and quantity change after both consumers hear news of the listeria outbreak and Boar’s Head issues a recall for potentially contaminated meats.
- Discuss the damage that the listeria outbreak will do to the Boar’s Head brand reputation and the steps the company might take and costs they might incur to retore consumers’ confidence in their products’ safety.
Sources| Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/listeria-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20355269; USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2024/09/01/boars-head-recall-deli-meat-listeria/75033322007/; Unsplashed: Photo by camilo jimenez on Unsplash