WOODBURY — Shocking news hits sandwich lovers when a deadly disease was found to be in a popular brand this summer.
According to NBC News, Boar’s Head in July recalled more than 7 million pounds of meat processed at a facility in Jarratt, Virginia, due to a deadly bacterial outbreak of Listeria in the company’s liverwurst. The recall doesn’t include products that were purchased by consumers before or after the recall, but many people threw away their meats out of fear.
However, the timing of the outbreak meant that Nonnewaug’s cafeteria wasn’t affected, according to Costa Lefkimiatis, Nonnewaug’s cafeteria manager.
“Luckily the outbreak occurred well into summer break, and concern for having served contaminated deli products was put to rest,” Lefkimiatis said. “Region 14 then focused on the upcoming school year to determine if our deli’s needed to find alternative deli products.”
Lefkimiatis said that Region 14’s food distributor, Valley Provisions in Monroe, was helpful in making sure the school received safe lunchmeat. He noted that some people called with concerns about Listeria.
“Parents and faculty have reached out with concerns and questions about the Listeria outbreak,” Lefkimiatis said, “and being able to answer their questions with accurate information coupled with safety measures that were taken eased their concerns and demonstrated Region 14’s commitment to safety for all in the community.”
Despite Region 14’s diligence, the negative publicity about Boar’s Head caused by the outbreak still gave students and parents concerns about the deli meat.
“I am scared to eat Boar’s Head products knowing that any of the products could have Listeria,” says Nonnewaug sophomore Julian Ocasio. “It caused me to stop eating the sandwiches out of fear.”
While some students avoided eating sandwiches completely, it doesn’t bother many others.
“I am not concerned about eating the sandwiches because I trust the school to take care of it and not let it reach the students,” says sophomore Cash Medonis.
“There hasn’t been an outbreak in the school yet, so I am not too scared, so I still eat the sandwiches,” says sophomore Danny Searles.
“I eat sandwiches with Boar’s Head products probably once a day,” sophomore Max Lapke said. “The Listeria doesn’t bother me because I could die any day.”
According to NBC News, more than 50 people were hospitalized due to listeria-related illnesses, and nine people died.
Even though Listeria didn’t reach Nonnewaug, Lefkimiatis said the national outbreak caused food service workers to double down on safety measures.
“The Listeria outbreak surrounding Boar’s Head products caused a lot of concern for us in the food service department,” Lefkimiatis says, “because Listeria often is found in foods that are served cold or require no cooking. This eliminates the last line of defense against food-borne illnesses, which is heating a product to a temperature that kills the contaminant. Also, Listeria does not alter the taste or smell of the product, which makes detection impossible.”
In the end, Nonnewaug was safe from the Listeria outbreak and its effects.
“Region 14 did not have to throw any of our Boar’s Head products because the outbreak occurred over summer break,” Lefkimiatis said. “Luckily, this did not cost any of the schools money.”
