Boar's Head facility that had mold, mildew and bugs linked to listeria outbreak, records show

Published: Aug 29, 2024 Duration: 00:05:34 Category: News & Politics

Tags : U.S. Virginia mold The Daily Report with John Dickerson Clips listeria boar's head Bugs plant United States Department of Agriculture

Trending searches: listeria

>>> BUGS, MOLD, AND MILDEW, THAT IS WHAT INSPECTORS SAY THEY FOUND AT A BOAR'S HEAD PLANT THAT'S BEEN LINKED TO A NATIONWIDE LISTERIA OUTBREAK THAT'S BLAMED FOR AT LEAST NINE DEATHS. THE HEALTH VIOLATIONS ARE DETAILED IN RECORDS RELEASED BY THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT. SOME SPECIFICS INCLUDE INSECTS IN OR AROUND DELI MEATS, MOLD AND MILDEW NEAR SINKS WHERE EMPLOYEES WASH THEIR HANDS, A "RANCID SMELL" IN A COOLER, AND LEAKING OR POOLING WATER IN THE PLANT, ONE PUDDLE SO BAD IT HAD "GREEN ALGAL GROWTH INSIDE." BARBARA COWALCHUK JOINS US NOW. HOW DOES IT GET THIS BAD? HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. I THINK ONE OF THE -- IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT IT GOT THIS BAD. CLEARLY, THERE WERE MULTIPLE BREAKDOWNS IN FOOD SAFETY SYSTEMS, BOTH WITHIN THE ESTABLISHMENT. LISTERIA IS A VERY DEADLY PATHOGEN THAT WE KNOW IS ASSOCIATED WITH READY-TO-EAT PRODUCTS LIKE DELI MEATS. THERE'S BEEN NUMEROUS OUTBREAKS IN THE PAST. OBVIOUSLY THERE WERE BREAKDOWNS AT THE ESTABLISHMENT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THESE INSPECTION REPORTS AROUND SANITATION, AROUND PHYSICAL HAZARDS, AROUND RECORD KEEPING AND IT WAS REPEATED OVER TIME WHICH SUGGESTS THAT THERE WERE ORGANIZATIONAL, CULTURAL ISSUES IN THE ESTABLISHMENT AROUND FOOD SAFETY. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR REGULATORY SYSTEM ALSO HAD A FAILURE IN THAT THIS PROBLEM WENT ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME DESPITE DOCUMENTATION BY INSPECTORS, BUT YET THE PLANT WASN'T CLOSED DOWN OR THEY DIDN'T RECALL THE PRODUCT. >> TELL US WHAT HAPPENS. WALK US THROUGH A TYPICAL INSPECTION FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY BE BUYING ANY KIND OF DELI MEAT FROM NOW ON. WHAT'S THE NORMAL COURSE OF EVENTS? HOW DOES IT GO? >> FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT AN INSPECTOR. I'M AN ACADEMIC, BUT UNDER USDA REGULATIONS EVERY PLANT THAT PRODUCES MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS HAS TO BE INSPECTED ON A DAILY BASIS. SO THAT MEANS EVERY DAY AN INSPECTOR GOES THROUGH. THEY KNOW THE REGULATIONS. THEY'RE GOING TO DOCUMENT THOSE, CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT IS MEETING THOSE REGULATIONS AND WHEN THEY DON'T, THEY WRITE WHAT'S CALLED A NONCOMPLIANCE REPORT OR IT'S SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS AN NR. THOSE NRs DOCUMENT PROBLEMS IN THE PLANT AND WHAT WAS RELEASED SHOWS THAT OVER THE PAST YEAR THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS, AS YOU ALREADY POINTED OUT, THAT SUGGEST ONGOING SANITATION ISSUES. MEAT AND PROTEIN RESIDUE ON EQUIPMENT, ON THE WALLS, AND THAT SUGGESTS THEY WEREN'T CLEANING AS THOROUGHLY AS THEY SHOULD. THERE WAS ALSO CONDENSATION REPORTED IN THE COOLERS AND LEAKING PIPES AND ONE THING, LISTERIA AND MOST FOOD-BORNE PATHOGENS LOVE WATER. SO IF YOU HAVE STANDING WATER, YOU HAVE CONDENSATION AROUND, THEY CAN GROW AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY FORM BIOFILMS WHICH ARE INCREDIBLY HARD TO GET RID OF. >> WOW, OKAY. I'VE GOT 10,000 QUESTIONS FOR YOU BUT NOT ENOUGH TIME. THE USDA ISSUED A STATEMENT TO CBS SAYING IT WAS RELYING ON THE STATE TO OVERSEE THE VIRGINIA BOAR'S HEAD PLANT. IS THAT THE REGULATORY SYSTEM BREAKDOWN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? IS THAT NORMAL? >> THAT IS NORMAL. SOMETIMES WHAT THE REGULATORY AGENCIES DO, BOTH USDA DOES THIS AND FDA DOES THIS, IS SOMETIMES THEY DELEGATE INSPECTIONS TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DEPENDING ON THE STATE. SO THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON. THEY GET PAID TYPICALLY TO DO THAT AND THEY SERVE AS AN INSPECTOR, AS A USDA INSPECTOR ON BEHALF OF USDA. THE PROBLEM IS THAT EITHER THE INSPECTOR DIDN'T TAG THE PRODUCT OR DIDN'T SUGGEST THE PLANT NEEDED TO BE SHUT DOWN OR THE SUPERVISORS DIDN'T ASK FOR IT. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A FAILURE IN THAT COMMAND CHAIN THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. >> BARBARA, FINAL QUESTION, IS THIS SYMPTOMATIC OF A LARGER PROBLEM OR MIGHT THIS JUST BE A SERIES OF BAD KIND OF LOCALIZED TO THIS ONE PLANT TO THIS ONE CHAIN OF BAD EVENTS? >> WELL, OUR FOOD SYSTEM IS VERY COMPLEX. REMEMBER, OUR FOOD COMES FROM THE ENVIRONMENT AND YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WE HAVE LOTS OF TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX TO HELP PREVENT CONTAMINATION OF FOOD AND IF YOU REMEMBER BACK TO COVID AND OUR SWISS CHEESE MODEL, IT WORKS IN FOOD SAFETY AS WELL. SOMETIMES ALL THE HOLES LINE UP AND SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS. CLEARLY, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. THE COMPANY NEEDS TO DO A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED AND THE AGENCIES NEED TO DO A ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE BREAKDOWNS WERE AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM GOING FORWARD. THE BOTTOM LINE IS AMERICAN LIVES ARE AT STAKE. THERE ARE NINE PEOPLE DEAD BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE. >> EXACTLY RIGHT, WELL PUT. THANK YOU

Share your thoughts

Related Transcripts

Insects, mold found at Virginia Boar's Head plant linked to deadly listeria outbreak

Category: News & Politics

Is. i'm rob nelson. alexa liacko in for alex livingston, the nationwide listeria outbreak involving boar's head deli meats is being traced back spurs virginia. >> 9 people are reported dead in over 50 hospitalized due to contaminated meat. >> national correspondent jamal andres joining us... Read more

Insects in meats, rancid smell in cooler among findings of Boar's Head plant investigation

Category: News & Politics

Course we will keep you posted. >> thank you. >>> mold, and mildew near handwashing sinks. flies and you're a vat of pickles. ants traveling down a wall. just a few of the violations inspectors found at a virginia planter tied to the largest listeria outbreak in more than a decade. the cdc... Read more

Will there be another Harris-Trump debate?

Category: News & Politics

>>> hello, and thank you for joining us, we begin our report on the campaign trail. donald trump and kamala harris traveled to battleground states thursday for the first time since their debate earlier this week. former president traveled to the western border state of arizona, while the vice... Read more

Merrick Garland says Justice Department won't be a "political weapon"

Category: News & Politics

Invest billions in replacing chinese-built cranes. >>> attorney general merrick garland denounced what he called an escalation of attacks against the justice department during a thursday speech that got fiery and emotional at times. >> our norms are a promise that we will not allow this nation... Read more

Bugs, mold found at Boar's Head plant linked to deadly outbreak

Category: News & Politics

And mold at a boarshead plant in virginia that is tied to a large deli meat recall. they found both live and dead insects, along with mold on doors. the ceiling and near a handwashing sink. again at the factory, boris had responded by saying food safety is a priority and suspended operations at the... Read more

What we know about the Boar's Head listeria outbreak with at least 9 people dead

Category: News & Politics

>>> you can call this a lunchmeat alert. cbs news is learning new details about the deadly listeria outbreak tied to contaminated boar meats. >> the outbreak has killed at least nine people and hospitalized dozens more. boar deli meats made in its plant in virginia last month. cbs news... Read more

Why Hunter Biden suddenly switched to a guilty plea before his trial

Category: News & Politics

Thanks for joining us. >>> jury selection was set to start thursday in the second trial this year for hunter biden, this time for federal tax evasion, but the president's son requested to change his plea several times over the course of the day and eventually entered a guilty plea. hunter... Read more

Mosquitos could spread more disease in the U.S. as their season gets longer

Category: News & Politics

President biden when the nonspeaking person was cut off. >>> dr. anthony fauci, the man who helped guide the united states through the covid-19 pandemic, is recovering from a different serious illness, west nile virus. fauci told cbs news he was hospitalized about two weeks ago. he returned... Read more

4.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Southern California amid wildfires

Category: News & Politics

>> dave malkoff, great reporting. thanks so much. >>> an earthquake rocked parts of southern california thursday according to the u.s. geological survey. the 4.7 quake struck roughly four miles north of malibu. there were several small aftershocks, but thankfully, there were no reports of... Read more

GOP primaries underway in Virginia, Georgia and Oklahoma for congressional seats

Category: News & Politics

Rolled out a $50 million media by in battleground states. part of it includes a ad targeting trump as a convict it criminal. voters are headed to the polls in virginia and oklahoma for critical primaries. in georgia, primate run elections are underway. all three states have held a presidential... Read more

What to know about Springfield, the city at the center of a fake story about migrants

Category: News & Politics

>>> there are many debunked rumors in the world. most don't require our attention. in fact, one of the challenges of our time is to keep our attention from being hijacked by the diversionary and frivolous, but donald trump and j.d. vance in an effort to show the damage done by lax biden-harris... Read more

John Dickerson on what to expect from final night of DNC

Category: News & Politics

>>> the fourth and final night of the democratic national convention in chicago, tonight after three consecutive days of appearances from a-list celebrities and some of the biggest names in the democratic party, vice president kamala harris will take the stage and formally accept her party's... Read more