Boar's Head recall: Minnesota pregnant woman sues deli meat maker after contracting listeria
A 36-week-pregnant Minnesota woman has sued Boar's Head over the listeria outbreak
Boar's Head recalls 7 million pounds of deli meat linked to listeria outbreak
New Yorkers are feeling the pinch in their pocketbooks after a listeria outbreak has affected 7 million pounds of cold cuts. (WNYW)
A pregnant woman from Minnesota who said she "nearly lost her unborn child" is now suing Boar's Head because she says she was infected by listeria after eating the company's deli meat sold at a Publix supermarket in Florida.
The lawsuit from Ashley Solberg comes amid a multi-state outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes.
Boar's Head recently recalled 7 million pounds' worth of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The lawsuit, which was filed in the District of Minnesota on Wednesday, is the first federal lawsuit following the mass recall.
BOAR'S HEAD RECALLS 7 MILLION POUNDS OF DELI MEAT AFTER BEING LINKED TO LISTERIA OUTBREAK
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, Boar's Head has expanded its recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products to nearly 7 million additional pounds due to a listeria outbreak. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The suit alleges that the 36-week pregnant woman developed a severe illness and was hospitalized after consuming the tainted deli meat.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnant women are 10 times more likely than other people to be infected with the bacteria.
The risks of a listeria infection during pregnancy include miscarriage, premature labor, low-birth-weight infants and infant death, the lawsuit said, citing the CDC.
Because the mother can easily pass the infection to her unborn child, the CDC said, an infected baby can also develop a range of health issues, including intellectual disability, paralysis, seizures, blindness or impairments of the brain, heart or kidney.
A Georgia Publix supermarket with Boar's Head deli meats for sale. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Solberg seeks "an amount far greater than" $75,000 for damages.
The lawsuit said that after consuming the deli meat, Solberg "started to become severely ill, suffering from diarrhea, fever, chills, headaches, and body aches, among other symptoms."
BOAR'S HEAD RECALL: WOMAN FILES CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST DELI COMPANY
Testing verified that Solberg was infected with listeria, and sample testing from the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC matched it to the outbreak strain, the lawsuit said.
Solberg was hospitalized for six days and given intensive antibiotic treatment to protect her unborn child, which continued after her release.
"Even today, Plaintiff is concerned about the lasting impact of the infection just before her labor and delivery," the lawsuit states.
A recall notice is posted next to Boar's Head meats on display at a Safeway in San Rafael, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to OFT Food and Safety Lawyers, the law firm representing Solberg, she was left frightened after developing listeria.
"The impact of this bacteria on parents is devastating and frightening," attorney Brendan Flaherty said in a statement. "Often the pregnant woman has few, if any, symptoms, even as the bacteria works its way into the amniotic fluid, damaging or destroying the fetus. The human cost of this bacteria is so high that food manufacturers must take every possible measure to seek out and eliminate Listeria in production facilities."
Flaherty said that it should be the "first job" of deli meat producers, like Boar's Head, to "stop the bacteria from contaminating its processing facilities and products."
"Listeria is the most deadly foodborne pathogen and is extremely dangerous during pregnancy," he said. "That is why the first job of deli meat producers is to stop the bacteria from contaminating its processing facilities and products. They need to adopt sanitation policies and testing programs to seek out and destroy the bacteria."
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According to the CDC:
- 3 people have died
- 43 people have reported illnesses
- 43 people have been hospitalized
- Outbreaks were reported in 13 states (Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin)
FOX Business has reached out to Boar's Head and Publix for comment.