More than six months after a deadly Listeria outbreak was traced to Boar’s Head deli meat, the company has hired a chief food safety officer.
Natalie Dyenson will begin work for the family owned, billion dollar company on May 12, according to a statement from company officials.
The hiring comes in response to a 2024 outbreak that sickened 59 people across 19 states, killing 10. All of the patients required hospitalization because of the severity of their illnesses. Food and Drug Administration investigators found the outbreak strain of Listeria in unopened packages of Boar’s Head deli meat.
In July 2024 Boar’s Head recalled more than 7.2 million pounds of deli meats in relation to the Listeria outbreak.
The company closed its Jarrett, VA, production plant implicated in the outbreak and permanently discontinued production of liverwurst nationwide. The company is owned by the Brunckhorst and Bischoff families and is based in Sarasota, FL.
Documents uncovered by investigators with the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service showed food safety problems dating back at least two years. The USDA did not shut down the plant after those problems were found.
The records — which FSIS acknowledged include dozens of pages of documentation — were withheld because they were compiled “for a law enforcement purpose, which includes both civil and criminal statutes,” according to a letter sent Sept. 27, 2024, in response to Freedom of Information Act requests submitted by The Associated Press. Releasing the records could “interfere with” and “hinder” the government’s investigation, the letter said.
Previously the government voluntarily released records showing problems at the Virginia plant including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment dating back at least two years.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the USDA are both investigating the outbreak and practices at the production plant.
The hiring of Dyenson follows a series of food safety initiatives taken by the company across its entire product portfolio, according to the statement released March 28.
“In her new role, Dyenson will spearhead the company’s comprehensive food safety program, leveraging her extensive expertise to ensure the continued integrity of Boar’s Head products. She will also work closely with the Boar’s Head Food Safety Advisory Council on continuous innovations and enhancements to the company’s safety and quality processes,” according to the Boar’s Head statement.
Before accepting the Boar’s Head position, Dyenson worked for nearly three decades in food safety in posts with the International Fresh Produce Association, Dole Food Company, Walmart and Walt Disney World, Silliker, Kash n’ Karry Supermarkets, and Harris Teeter.
Founded in 1905, Boar’s Head Brand has grown to produce more than 500 products.
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