Bugs, mold and mildew found in Boar's Head plant linked to deadly listeria outbreak

Inspectors turned up dozens of violations at a Boar's Head plant in Virginia now linked to a nationwide recall of deli meats, according to new records released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including mold, mildew and insects repeatedly found throughout the site.

Last month, Boar's Head recalled all of the deli meats made at its plant in Jarratt, Virginia, after a listeria outbreak was blamed on products distributed from the facility. 

The outbreak has grown to 57 hospitalizations in 18 states linked to recalled products from the plant. At least nine deaths have now been reported, including two in South Carolina and one each in Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico and New York.

"This is the largest listeriosis outbreak since the 2011 outbreak linked to cantaloupe," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

Samples from unopened products distributed from the Boar's Head plant were found by authorities in multiple states to be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Genetic sequencing linked the bacteria from the products to the strain driving the outbreak.

People are urged to double check their fridges for the recalled meats and to clean any surfaces that might have touched them.

"Consumers who were unaware of the recall may have eaten recalled products. People may also have a prolonged course of illness," a spokesperson for South Carolina's health department said in a statement following the new deaths. 

Records released by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service to CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act request tally 69 records of "noncompliances" flagged by inspectors over the past year at the Jarratt plant.

While the service is ultimately responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations at the plant, a spokesperson for the agency said Thursday it was relying on staff from Virginia — not USDA employees — to man the site.

The agency is now working with the state to "ensure the establishment has an effective system in place to produce safe food for the public."

"FSIS has suspended inspection at the Boar's Head establishment in Jarratt, Virginia, which means that it remains closed until the establishment is able to demonstrate it can produce safe product," an FSIS spokesperson said in a statement.

It's unclear whether Boar's Head will face any penalties by the USDA for the repeat issues. Reports published by the agency so far show no "enforcement actions" taken against the company in the past year.

The agency spokesperson said that Boar's Head "implemented corrective actions in keeping with FSIS regulations."

In a statement, a Boar's Head spokesperson said the company deeply regrets the impact of the recall, and said that food safety is their "absolute priority."

"As a USDA-inspected food producer, the agency has inspectors in our Jarratt, Virginia plant every day and if at any time inspectors identify something that needs to be addressed, our team does so immediately, as was the case with each and every issue raised by USDA in this report," company spokesperson Elizabeth Ward said.

All operations have been suspended at the Jarratt plant, Ward said, and the company is working to disinfect the plant and retrain employees. No product will be released from the plant "until it meets the highest quality and safety standards."

"During this time, we have partnered with the industry's leading global food safety experts to conduct a rigorous investigation to get to the bottom of the events leading to this recall," said Ward.

Beyond issues like paperwork lapses and leftover meat on equipment, the records show inspectors faulted Boar's Head several times for mold or mildew building up around the company's facilities in Jarratt.

In July, federal inspectors found what looked to be mold and mildew around the hand washing sinks for the workers tasked with meats that are supposed to be ready to eat.

Mold was also found building up outside of steel vats used by the plant, previous records show, as well as in holding coolers between the site's smokehouses.

"A black mold like substance was seen throughout the room at the wall/concrete junction. As well as some caulking around brick/metal," they wrote in January, saying some spots were "as large as a quarter."

Other locations were found to have a number of issues with leaking or pooling water, including a puddle found to have "a green algal growth" inside and condensation that was found to be "dripping over product being held." 

After inspectors flagged one of the leaks to the company, workers tried to mop up the leaks.

"The employee wiped a third time, and the leaks returned within 10 seconds," inspectors wrote after one condensation issue was raised on July 27, near fans that looked to be blowing the liquid onto uncovered deli meats.

In February, an inspector found "ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor" and a "rancid smell" throughout a cooler used at the plant.

A number of records also flag sightings of insects in and around deli meats at the plant, including one instance that prompted the agency to tag more than 980 pounds of ham in a smokehouse hallway to be "retained" for an investigation.

In June, another record flagged concerns over flies going in and out of "vats of pickle" left by Boar's Head in a room. 

"Small flying gnat like insects were observed crawling on the walls and flying around the room. The rooms walls had heavy meat buildup," they wrote.

Other parts of the facility were also found to have bugs, including what looked to be "ants traveling down the wall," as well as a beetle and a cockroach.