(NewsNation) — Boar’s Head Provision Company is facing a potential consumer class action lawsuit after the company expanded its nationwide recall over concerns regarding listeria, a potentially deadly bacterium.
On July 26, the company recalled around 200,000 pounds of deli products, only to flag a whopping 7 million pounds of deli meat just four days later. More than 70 Boar’s Head products are impacted, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Filed in New York federal court Thursday, the proposed lawsuit is headed by a Boar’s Head customer who claims she wouldn’t have purchased an affected product if the company had properly notified consumers about the scale of the contamination.
The plaintiff, who is one of the first to seek legal recourse following the recall, is seeking monetary damages from the deli powerhouse.
What is listeria?
According to the USDA, listeriosis is an infection caused by ingesting the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Pregnant women and their newborns, those with compromised immune systems and people over 65 are most likely to get sick.
Symptoms include:
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Confusion
- Loss of balance
- Convulsions
Is listeria deadly?
Yes. Each year, an estimated 1,600 people are infected, and 260 die. That’s a roughly 16% fatality rate.
So far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 34 infections from this current outbreak. Thirty-three people were hospitalized, and two have died.
“In interviews with sick people, 23 of 24 (89%) reported eating meats sliced at deli counters. Thirteen people reported eating deli sliced liverwurst, with seven of those reporting Boar’s Head brand,” the CDC said in a statement.
Boar’s Head deli meat recall: What to do
If you have liverwurst, ham, beef salami, bologna or other products made at the Jarratt, Virginia, Boar’s Head plant, do not eat them. Instead, throw the items away or return them to the store for a refund.
The recalled meats carry the plant’s number — EST.12612 or P-12612 — inside the USDA mark on the label. The meat was distributed to stores nationwide, as well as to the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama.
For any questions, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to [email protected].
Click here to see a photo gallery of all the recalled product labels.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.