Recently disclosed violations included meat and fat residue left on walls, green mold, and 'general filth' in several of the food company's plants over a six-year period.

Inspectors found "general filth," poor sanitation practices, and structural issues at Boar’s Head facilities, including the Virginia plant linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak that killed 10 people and hospitalized 60,

A listeria outbreak at a Boar’s Head facility in Virginia, which left 10 people dead and dozens hospitalized in multiple states in the U.S. in 2024, was caused by poor sanitation.

Sixty people were hospitalized and 10 are known to have died last year in the largest listeria outbreak since 2011.

According to a press release, a thorough review found multiple violations of food safety protocols — including the presence of mold, insects, and other unsanitary conditions — in the site of the outbreak at a Boar Head’s plant in Virginia to be the main cause of the outbreak.

The USDA said inspectors found product residue in the form of meat and fat from the equipment left over from the previous day.

A USDA investigation following a literia outbreak linked to 10 deaths and 60 hospitalizations revealed poor sanitation practices at a Boar's Head facility.

Government inspectors documented unsanitary conditions at several Boar’s Head deli meat plants, not just the factory that was shut down last year after a deadly outbreak of listeria poisoning, federal records show.