Boar鈥檚 Head said Friday it鈥檚 closing the Virginia plant .
The Sarasota, Florida-based company said it will also permanently discontinue production of liverwurst, the product that was linked to the deaths of and hospitalizations of about 50 others in 18 states.
Boar's Head expressed regret and deep apologies for the outbreak in a statement on its website.
Boar鈥檚 Head said an internal investigation at its Jarratt, Virginia, plant found that the contamination was the result of a specific production process. The process only existed at the Jarratt plant and was only used for liverwurst, the company said.
The Jarratt plant hasn鈥檛 been operational since late July, when Boar鈥檚 Head recalled more than of deli meats and other products after tests confirmed listeria bacteria in its products was making people sick.
are caused by a hardy type of bacteria that can survive and even thrive during refrigeration. An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Infections can be hard to pinpoint because symptoms may occur up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food.
The Jarratt plant had a . Government inspectors found 69 instances of 鈥渘oncompliance鈥� at the facility over the last year, including instances of mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment.
Boar鈥檚 Head said 鈥渉undreds鈥� of employees will be impacted by the closure.
鈥淲e do not take lightly our responsibility as one of the area鈥檚 largest employers," the company said. 鈥淏ut, under these circumstances, we feel that a plant closure is the most prudent course.鈥�
The company said it is appointing a new chief food safety officer who will report to its president. It is also establishing a safety council comprised of independent experts, including Mindy Brashears, a former food safety chief at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Frank Yiannas, a former deputy commissioner for food policy at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
鈥淭his is a dark moment in our company鈥檚 history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry,鈥� the company said.
Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press
