Boar’s Head cold cuts were always my dad’s favorite. He was old-school when it came to food — he believed in the promise major brands made in those days, namely that they sold superior products. He would tell anyone who would listen at family parties that Boar’s Head was the best.
So I’m glad he’s not around today to see how the mighty have fallen. Not only did Boar’s Head have a major recall last year after a listeria outbreak was linked to products from a factory it runs in Virginia. But now a new report details sanitation issues at several other Boar’s Head plants, reports The Patch and other sources.
“Newly released reports from Boar’s Head plants in New Castle, Indiana; Forrest City, Arkansas; and Petersburg, Virginia, described multiple instances of meat and fat residue left on equipment and walls, dripping condensation falling on food, mold, insects and other problems dating back roughly six years. Last May, one inspector documented “general filth” in a room at the Indiana plant.
“The U.S. Agriculture Department released the inspection records in response to Freedom of Information Act requests from The Associated Press and other news organizations,” the Patch reports.
“Boar’s Head officials said in an email Monday (Jan. 13) that the violations documented in the three factories “do not meet our high standards.” The company’s remaining plants continue to operate under normal USDA oversight, they added. The Sarasota, Florida-based company has marketed itself for decades as a premier provider of deli meats and cheeses, advertising “excellence that stands apart in every bite,” the story goes on to report.
Boar’s Head is not part of some mega-corporation with a million subcompanies. It is privately owned and controlled by descendants of the founders, so it’s family-run. That’s a good reminder that family-run companies are no more immune from foul-ups than are large public ones.
The No Salt, No Fat, No Sugar Journal 
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