Discussion of product brands seen across the retail landscape. This is not to discuss products themselves, just the news and history of associated brands.
Doesn't surprise me, either. Eventually, expansion leads to cutting corners and it sounds like many corners were cut.
They definitely over expanded. They never should have moved as heavily into Kroger or Safeway operations as they did. The manufacturing side was obviously "strained" handling all this additional volume.
They should have stuck with smaller chains and independents as they were doing originally. Slower expansion to lower volume units is more controllable and lets you keep your "standards."
Now that I think about it their expansion with NorCal Safeway has been stalled for years. They were supposed to be into every NorCal Safeway. But most of the rural or semi-rural locations I go into do not have Boar's Head products unless they are resort locations (like Tahoe).
Kroger has been selling Boars Head.on this side of the country for over 20 years. Safeway for a bit less. Not sure how much expansion there’s been.
Re:upthread—you can wash prepackaged vegetables. Not a bad idea after the repeated recalls, but you can’t wash liverwurst or salami.
The news coverage about the plant has mostly been about people being afraid the plant might close. No one wants to say the obvious which is that there was a breakdown in the way it was managed and probably a climate where employees weren’t empowered to say anything and I adequate oversight from outside. USDA has had fewer and fewer inspectors over time, so that check isn’t adequate either.
There has been exponential expansion of Boar's Head. Kroger expanded it heavily in the early 2010's. Safeway expanded it in the later 2010's. Between them they added hundreds of new Boar's Head Stores (and many high volume ones at that).
This doesn't account for chains like Sprouts or Publix who have also opened hundreds of new stores and also include Boar's Head in some of their stores.
The USDA inspections seem to have issues documented but for some reason the plant was allowed to continue to operate as issues just kept piling up. Blatant failure of the current administration to allow USDA to operate in this manner. I don't care who "gutted it." They've had 3.5 years to "fix it." And it isn't that no inspections are happening- inspections did happen. It is just that no serious enforcement action came of said inspections. Again, blatant failure of the current administration and their appointed USDA leadership. Not saying it would have been any better under previous administrations, but this is a big issue now.
Doesn't surprise me, either. Eventually, expansion leads to cutting corners and it sounds like many corners were cut.
They definitely over expanded. They never should have moved as heavily into Kroger or Safeway operations as they did. The manufacturing side was obviously "strained" handling all this additional volume.
They should have stuck with smaller chains and independents as they were doing originally. Slower expansion to lower volume units is more controllable and lets you keep your "standards."
Now that I think about it their expansion with NorCal Safeway has been stalled for years. They were supposed to be into every NorCal Safeway. But most of the rural or semi-rural locations I go into do not have Boar's Head products unless they are resort locations (like Tahoe).
Kroger has been selling Boars Head.on this side of the country for over 20 years. Safeway for a bit less. Not sure how much expansion there’s been.
Re:upthread—you can wash prepackaged vegetables. Not a bad idea after the repeated recalls, but you can’t wash liverwurst or salami.
The news coverage about the plant has mostly been about people being afraid the plant might close. No one wants to say the obvious which is that there was a breakdown in the way it was managed and probably a climate where employees weren’t empowered to say anything and I adequate oversight from outside. USDA has had fewer and fewer inspectors over time, so that check isn’t adequate either.
Any type of ground meat product is more susceptible to contamination unlike whole cuts of meat (where any bacterial contamination would be on the surface and is killed by heating/cooking)
They definitely over expanded. They never should have moved as heavily into Kroger or Safeway operations as they did. The manufacturing side was obviously "strained" handling all this additional volume.
They should have stuck with smaller chains and independents as they were doing originally. Slower expansion to lower volume units is more controllable and lets you keep your "standards."
Now that I think about it their expansion with NorCal Safeway has been stalled for years. They were supposed to be into every NorCal Safeway. But most of the rural or semi-rural locations I go into do not have Boar's Head products unless they are resort locations (like Tahoe).
Kroger has been selling Boars Head.on this side of the country for over 20 years. Safeway for a bit less. Not sure how much expansion there’s been.
Re:upthread—you can wash prepackaged vegetables. Not a bad idea after the repeated recalls, but you can’t wash liverwurst or salami.
The news coverage about the plant has mostly been about people being afraid the plant might close. No one wants to say the obvious which is that there was a breakdown in the way it was managed and probably a climate where employees weren’t empowered to say anything and I adequate oversight from outside. USDA has had fewer and fewer inspectors over time, so that check isn’t adequate either.
Any type of ground meat product is more susceptible to contamination unlike whole cuts of meat (where any bacterial contamination would be on the surface and is killed by heating/cooking)
Yet many of the recalled items include ham lunchmeat.
I buy quite a bit of Boar's Head product. I've recommended this brand to so many people who hadn't previously tried it as it became more available in my area between Smiths, Safeway, and Sprouts. I have consumed multiple of the products listed in the recall earlier in the year, but not in recent months. Quality has always been excellent. I am somewhat impressed such a screwed up plant still put out what seemed to be a very high quality product. I paid a premium price for what I thought was a premium product and that includes premium food handling procedures. I am beyond disgusted by this. Blatant over expansion and lack of control over the situation.
I respect their decision to keep operating this plant which was obviously stretched beyond its realistic operating capabilities, so they could expand the number of outlets carrying their products, but there comes a point where you really need to look at yourself in the mirror and decide if you can "do it" anymore- in this case- the rapid expansion. Clearly the answer was no but to get these accounts with Kroger and Safeway they have to promise they'll go into hundreds/thousands of stores. At which point they needed to find third party producers to partner with and produce the product to their specifications.
Looks like the physical conditions in the Boar's Head could have posed an "imminent threat" up to two years prior to the recall according to this article:
Even with less inspectors, I would like to think that a company would heed the inspection reports and correct their mistakes. However, it seems that the company's need for expansion got ahead of food safety. Everything is great until it isn't. I do wonder how many people in the general public will buy different deli meat or stop buying deli meat altogether. I think there is a set of people who thinks the recall has solved all the problems and everything will be "OK" now.
mjhale wrote: ↑September 12th, 2024, 6:42 am
Looks like the physical conditions in the Boar's Head could have posed an "imminent threat" up to two years prior to the recall according to this article:
Even with less inspectors, I would like to think that a company would heed the inspection reports and correct their mistakes. However, it seems that the company's need for expansion got ahead of food safety. Everything is great until it isn't. I do wonder how many people in the general public will buy different deli meat or stop buying deli meat altogether. I think there is a set of people who thinks the recall has solved all the problems and everything will be "OK" now.
YUP!!!
It will take years for me to ever take a chance and buy their products.
mjhale wrote: ↑September 12th, 2024, 6:42 am
Looks like the physical conditions in the Boar's Head could have posed an "imminent threat" up to two years prior to the recall according to this article:
Even with less inspectors, I would like to think that a company would heed the inspection reports and correct their mistakes. However, it seems that the company's need for expansion got ahead of food safety. Everything is great until it isn't. I do wonder how many people in the general public will buy different deli meat or stop buying deli meat altogether. I think there is a set of people who thinks the recall has solved all the problems and everything will be "OK" now.
YUP!!!
It will take years for me to ever take a chance and buy their products.
I purchased very few deli meats other than Boar's Head as I thought it was the best quality product and widely available in my area. No stores in my area carry Dietz and Watson which I have also been happy enough with. Some of the Columbus product is okay.
After this incident I do not plan to purchase any Boar's Head products again in the future. If I go to a restaurant/deli serving Boar's Head products, I will not order those items and if there are no alternatives I will leave.
This will simply make me stop buying deli meat for the most part.
mjhale wrote: ↑September 12th, 2024, 6:42 am
Looks like the physical conditions in the Boar's Head could have posed an "imminent threat" up to two years prior to the recall according to this article:
Even with less inspectors, I would like to think that a company would heed the inspection reports and correct their mistakes. However, it seems that the company's need for expansion got ahead of food safety. Everything is great until it isn't. I do wonder how many people in the general public will buy different deli meat or stop buying deli meat altogether. I think there is a set of people who thinks the recall has solved all the problems and everything will be "OK" now.
YUP!!!
It will take years for me to ever take a chance and buy their products.
I purchased very few deli meats other than Boar's Head as I thought it was the best quality product and widely available in my area. No stores in my area carry Dietz and Watson which I have also been happy enough with. Some of the Columbus product is okay.
After this incident I do not plan to purchase any Boar's Head products again in the future. If I go to a restaurant/deli serving Boar's Head products, I will not order those items and if there are no alternatives I will leave.
This will simply make me stop buying deli meat for the most part.
It will take years for me to ever take a chance and buy their products.
I purchased very few deli meats other than Boar's Head as I thought it was the best quality product and widely available in my area. No stores in my area carry Dietz and Watson which I have also been happy enough with. Some of the Columbus product is okay.
After this incident I do not plan to purchase any Boar's Head products again in the future. If I go to a restaurant/deli serving Boar's Head products, I will not order those items and if there are no alternatives I will leave.
This will simply make me stop buying deli meat for the most part.
Closed indefinitely and the 500 UNIONIZED employees are being fired.
So much for the UNION ensuring working conditions were proper in the facility.
This is a failure on so many parts. First you have the company who doesn't properly maintain the plant. Then you have the government inspectors who kept allowing this company to keep the plant open. Then you have the union who allows its employees to work in this kind of disgusting condition processing food.
I'm sure if we knew more about various other food plants we'd all have a similar reaction. I am sure this is not an isolated issue to this one plant or this one company.
But I still won't be buying Boar's Head products anymore.
