"We are conducting an extensive investigation, working closely with the USDA and government regulatory agencies, as well as with the industry’s leading food safety experts, to determine how our liverwurst produced at our Jarratt, Virginia facility was adulterated and to prevent it from happening again..."
It's pretty clear the failure was with management. They didn't enforce basic standards of cleanliness. If the whole company isn't shut down, their facilities should be inspected frequently to ensure they are compliant with health regulations.
> It's pretty clear the failure was with management.
It’s more than that though, why were the issues identified not acted on?
Management kept the plant running despite the issues, which probably kept their board happy. That might not be bad management from their perspective.
Is corruption part of this? Many regulatory bodies have a slightly-too-cosy relationship with those they regulate, with a revolving door relationship for staff.
There is also the fact that there is a party in government literally dedicated to shrinking government to the point where it cannot effectively inspect or regulate. The IRS for example is not well funded enough to actually catch rampant tax evasion.
As mentioned in TFA, the Boars Head Virginia plant has been shut down since the inspection issues in July.
It's crazy there aren't at least annual inspections of food production facilities which would have unearthed the disgusting lack of care sooner. They market themselves as a premium brand, which makes this look even worse.
But the response from management makes it clear they still have their head stuck... in the sand. By refering to the liverwurst when the report makes it clear the problems at the plant were affecting other products - they just are lucky these have not been identified as having killed anyone...
And THAT is the last straw for me and Boar's Head: A recall is fine IF it doesn't paper over lots of other problems. I'm done with Boar's Head as a whole until the rest of management notices this ridiculousity and proclaims a company-wide investigation and cleanup - and then later "distances" itself from incompetent management. That's sad: I have spent a lot of money on their London Broil roast beef, and now I have to find other producers.
> For instance, on June 10, an inspector entered the "pickle vat pump room" and noted "heavy meat buildup" on the walls, which were also crawling with flies and gnats.
I haven't seen much upside from going vegetarian, but at least I don't have to worry about accidentally eating food from a place like the above.
> According to the CDC, one significant outbreak in 2020 was linked to onions, resulting in around 1,127 reported cases of Salmonella across 48 states.
Vegetables can also be contaminated with bad bacteria and they do get contaminated in practice.
There are plenty outbreaks caused by contaminated salads and other vegetables.
There are some nasty parasites that can get onto your vegetarian produce. For example, Rat-Lung Worm disease parasite, can get onto produce from slugs and slug mucus. If you eat this parasite it can go into your brain and mess you up bad (permanently).
I would rather eat a piece of meat (cooked) than a piece of lettuce that is grown in an area that is affected by this parasite.
Do you like potatoes and strawberries? Welp. One of the pesticides California's green lit is also used to stimulate tumor growth in animals. Presumably not much is left on the food itself (although strawberries make great chemical sponges), but Dichloropropene is definitely a problem in the communities surrounding the farms.
Like cheap wine? Things haven't gotten much better from Chavez's days especially if you look at the cheaper brands like Charles Shaw. Plenty of young, dead, farm workers because safety standards are barely enforced.
Are you just worried about pathogens? Cantaloupes were the main vector in the 2011 listeria outbreak in the US and 2018 listeria outbreak in Australia, and a salmonella outbreak this year in the US. The 2008 salmonella outbreak in the US was the largest since the 80s, and that was spread by cilantro and peppers.
2009 saw a big salmonella outbreak in the US spread by peanut products. If you're worried about unsanitary factory conditions, you probably don't want to read up on that.
The US has ceased to remain a first world country. It is not a third world country yet, but it's getting there. Corruption and self-interest at all levels of government has supplanted the pursuit of becoming a better nation. It remains to be seen whether this extreme rise of self-interest at the expense of the collective/national/global/cosmic interest ultimately succeeds or fails.
I don’t think first and third world countries is a useful metaphor any more and It certainly is out of place here. This is one company that is gross. I am Not sure why one article about one gross company should stand as an example of an entire country’s decline. Weird.
This is a story about a single private company, the US is very much a 1st world country as we have a working meat inspection program, independent journalist covering the topic, alternate products from competing vendors, and numerous lively and open discussions involving concerned citizens.
How exactly does this story support the conclusion we are becoming corrupt?
The topic of discussion is how a meat plant was allowed to operate despite egregiously failing not just safety rules and procedures but just plain common sense.
It’s amazing how social media can create a picture that doesn’t exist huh?
This is a single plant among hundreds in the US.
If I go to a doctors office that doesn’t follow sterile procedures, would you call it a 3rd world country? Even knowing there are thousands that do follow regulations?
You don't know or understand how it's supposed to work. Every plant is supposed to be routinely inspected, and not be allowed to operate if it is not sanitary. If the inspection process didn't work for this one plant, it means it is not guaranteed to work for any plant.
Basically, it has been left up to the goodness of the plants to operate themselves how they like. That's how it is expected in the third world.
This bums me because we really enjoyed Boar's Head meats. And they were always so expensive too! This furthers my distrust of anything corporate and the never ending greed. We're done with BH and will stick to locally sourced deli meat as an occasional treat. Mostly we'll just avoid deli meats altogether because it's healthier to.
Unfortunately it's not only the producers... Pay attention to the deli crew at your store and notice how often they mess up on safe handling. Third world is not far off.
Let's not forget the constant E. coli and Salmonella cases of food poisoning on veggies, so, vegans, please, don't even start this! As an omnivore, I've always stayed off Boar's Head, because they were questionable even 20 years ago, when I first saw there stuff at Persian stores in Orange County, California!
Readit News
It's pretty clear the failure was with management. They didn't enforce basic standards of cleanliness. If the whole company isn't shut down, their facilities should be inspected frequently to ensure they are compliant with health regulations.
It’s more than that though, why were the issues identified not acted on?
Management kept the plant running despite the issues, which probably kept their board happy. That might not be bad management from their perspective.
Is corruption part of this? Many regulatory bodies have a slightly-too-cosy relationship with those they regulate, with a revolving door relationship for staff.
Without consequences, all those inspections do nothing
It's crazy there aren't at least annual inspections of food production facilities which would have unearthed the disgusting lack of care sooner. They market themselves as a premium brand, which makes this look even worse.
But the response from management makes it clear they still have their head stuck... in the sand. By refering to the liverwurst when the report makes it clear the problems at the plant were affecting other products - they just are lucky these have not been identified as having killed anyone...
And THAT is the last straw for me and Boar's Head: A recall is fine IF it doesn't paper over lots of other problems. I'm done with Boar's Head as a whole until the rest of management notices this ridiculousity and proclaims a company-wide investigation and cleanup - and then later "distances" itself from incompetent management. That's sad: I have spent a lot of money on their London Broil roast beef, and now I have to find other producers.
I haven't seen much upside from going vegetarian, but at least I don't have to worry about accidentally eating food from a place like the above.
Vegetables can also be contaminated with bad bacteria and they do get contaminated in practice.
There are plenty outbreaks caused by contaminated salads and other vegetables.
1 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd1xl518w8do
But at least, when I'm slumped over porcelain, and praying for death, I don't have the horror film image of "heavy meat buildup" on the walls.
Dead Comment
Your horror is an artifact of the industrialization of food production not the fact of meat at a food
These insane practices aren’t happening with pastoral nomadic herders or even pasture raised farms in the US
I would rather eat a piece of meat (cooked) than a piece of lettuce that is grown in an area that is affected by this parasite.
What is the quantitative definition of "dangerous?"
Like cheap wine? Things haven't gotten much better from Chavez's days especially if you look at the cheaper brands like Charles Shaw. Plenty of young, dead, farm workers because safety standards are barely enforced.
Are you just worried about pathogens? Cantaloupes were the main vector in the 2011 listeria outbreak in the US and 2018 listeria outbreak in Australia, and a salmonella outbreak this year in the US. The 2008 salmonella outbreak in the US was the largest since the 80s, and that was spread by cilantro and peppers.
2009 saw a big salmonella outbreak in the US spread by peanut products. If you're worried about unsanitary factory conditions, you probably don't want to read up on that.
Big ag is gross whether it's plant or animal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle#Federal_response
It's just that regulatory capture has resulted in some portion of that change being rolled back.
https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch
How exactly does this story support the conclusion we are becoming corrupt?
????
The topic of discussion is how a meat plant was allowed to operate despite egregiously failing not just safety rules and procedures but just plain common sense.
You consider that working?
Huh. That's an abject lie. If there were a working inspection program, this would never have happened. It wouldn't even have come close.
This is a single plant among hundreds in the US.
If I go to a doctors office that doesn’t follow sterile procedures, would you call it a 3rd world country? Even knowing there are thousands that do follow regulations?
That would be a silly conclusion.
Basically, it has been left up to the goodness of the plants to operate themselves how they like. That's how it is expected in the third world.
Unfortunately it's not only the producers... Pay attention to the deli crew at your store and notice how often they mess up on safe handling. Third world is not far off.
Buy imported ham from Italy or Iberia instead.