Boar's Head appoints interim chief food safety adviser following deadly listeria outbreak

Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The Boar's Head food brand Thursday appointed an interim chief food safety adviser. The move comes after a Virginia Boar's Head plant was closed in September due to meat linked to a deadly listeria outbreak.

Frank Yiannas, who holds a master's degree in public health, will chair the "Boar's Head Food Safety Advisory Council."

The council will provide food safety guidance while supporting implementation of enhanced food quality safety, according to Boar's Head.

In a Thursday statement, the company said, "We are continuing to take actions to ensure that we are operating in the safest manner possible across our network of facilities. As part of these efforts, we are pleased to appoint Frank Yiannas as our chief food safety adviser on an interim basis. Mr. Yiannas brings significant food safety and regulatory experience and expertise that will be pivotal in helping us shape our food safety programs going forward."

More than 7 million pounds of Boar's Head meat products sold at Kroger, Albertson's and Publix stores were recalled in September due to a listeria outbreak that started at the Jarratt, Va., plant.

The listeria outbreak killed several people and hospitalized dozens after first showing an "imminent" threat two years before the outbreak, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture records.

The plant was closed.

Boar's Head said the food safety advisory council Yiannas will head consists of "three additional industry-leading food safety experts, Dr. David Acheson, Dr. Mindy Brashears, and Dr. Martin Wiedmann."