OFT Listeria Lawyers File Another Listeria Lawsuit Against Boar’s Head

Posted by: OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers

OFT Law has filed another lawsuit against Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. following the devastating 2024 Listeria Outbreak, identified by the CDC as “one of the largest and most deadly food poisoning disasters in U.S. history.” The complaint, filed on June 11, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that Boar’s Head knowingly sold “premium” deli meat products that were actually “produced at a dilapidated and filthy facility infested with Listeria.”

Allegations of Corporate Negligence and Unsanitary Conditions

This listeria lawsuit claims that for years leading up to the outbreak, Boar’s Head prioritized profits over safety. The company allegedly “chose not to repair or update its facilities; covered up a Listeria infestation it knew existed; ignored its own quality assurance and food safety employees; and utterly disregarded 329 United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) citations issued in the two years leading up to the Outbreak.” A particularly ominous citation, issued on October 20, 2022, explicitly warned Boar’s Head that “major deficiencies” at its Jarratt, Virginia facility posed an “imminent threat” to the safety of its products, specifically citing regulations related to Listeria monocytogenes control.

The complaint details a disturbing history of unsanitary conditions at the Jarratt facility, a critical focus for any listeria lawyer investigating this case:

• Product residue, including “meat and fat residue from the previous day’s production on equipment, including packaging equipment and in the RTE processing area during preoperational sanitation checks.” This residue “can provide a substrate for Lm to survive and grow in the food processing environment and form biofilms, which can become more resistant to cleaning regimens”
• “Condensation” observed “in the RTE environment (e.g., dripping condensate on exposed product and a fan blowing condensate directly on products).”
• “Structural and Facility Problems” such as “cracks, holes and broken flooring) that could hold moisture and contribute to wet conditions.”
• Visible “mold and mildew throughout the facility, including around handwashing sinks used by workers handling meats intended to be ready-to-eat.”
• “Ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor” and a “rancid smell” throughout a cooler used at the plant.
• Insect infestations, with “flies entering ‘vats’ of pickle products.” Another report noted: “Small flying gnat like insects were observed crawling on the walls and flying around the room” and the room’s walls had “heavy meat buildup.” “Ants, beetles, and cockroaches were all sighted in the facility.”

The 2024 Listeria Outbreak and Its Impact

In the summer of 2024, the CDC, in collaboration with state public health officials, detected a “unique genetic pattern of Listeria monocytogenes” among listeriosis patients. As of July 26, 2024, “thirty-four people from thirteen states” had contracted this strain, with “thirty-three of the Outbreak victims were hospitalized and two had died from their infections.” A key finding in the outbreak investigation was that “people in this Outbreak were more likely to eat deli-sliced turkey and liverwurst.”

The plaintiff in this Listeria lawsuit purchased and consumed Boar’s Head liverwurst that was “grossly contaminated with the deadly Listeria bacteria.” She “fell deathly ill and endured a long hospitalization.” Although she “ultimately lived, the ordeal left Plaintiff physically and emotionally scarred, and with exacerbated chronic conditions that will require daily injections for the rest of her life.” The Listeria sample obtained from the plaintiff was a “genetic match on whole genome sequencing to the strain of Listeria that caused the Outbreak and that was isolated from Boar’s Head’s production facility and product.”

This Listeria lawsuit seeks to hold Boar’s Head accountable for product liability, alleging that the deli meat was “defective and unreasonably dangerous” due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. It also seeks punitive damages, arguing that Boar’s Head’s actions evinced a “conscious disregard for the safety and health of the public.”

New Listeria Outbreak: FreshRealm Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Beyond the Boar’s Head litigation, OFT Law is also actively representing individuals affected by the recently announced Listeria outbreak linked to FreshRealm chicken fettuccine alfredo products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a recall on June 17, 2025, for various sizes of MARKETSIDE GRILLED CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE and HOME CHEF Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo due to potential contamination. This outbreak has tragically affected 17 individuals across 13 states, resulting in three deaths and one fetal loss, with the outbreak strain found in ill individuals between August 2024 and May 2025, and in a routine sample from a FreshRealm establishment in March 2025. If you or a loved one have been affected by Listeria contamination, whether from deli meats or other products, it is crucial to consult with an experienced listeria lawyer to understand your legal options.