What’s in Your Fridge? Here Are Details About the Deli Meat Listeria Recall

Seven million pounds of Boar’s Head meats have been recalled since late July, when reports of serious illnesses and deaths began to occur.

In the last month, nine people have died and dozens have been hospitalized in a listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats that has led to a recall of seven million pounds of its products.

The outbreak has been traced back to a Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Va., where federal inspectors had documented repeated problems. The inspections records show that they found black mold, water dripping over meat and dead flies.

The plant has been temporarily shut down in the wake of the outbreak. But reports of illnesses and deaths have continued to accumulate, prompting public health officials to issue more warnings to consumers to ensure they discard certain Boar’s Head lunch meats that may still be in their refrigerators.

Here’s what you should know.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can be deadly. The largely food-borne Listeria illness can be contracted through foods like contaminated deli meats and unpasteurized milk products, according to the Mayo Clinic.

People may also fall ill by touching a listeria-laden surface before touching their mouths.