Boar's Head Provision Company

Boar's Head Provision Co., Inc. (also Boar's Head Brand, or Frank Brunckhorst Co., LLC) is a supplier of cold-cut meats (turkey, ham, beef, bologna), franks, sausages, bacon, cheeses, charcuterie, hummus, dips, spreads, olives, pickles, and condiments. The company was founded in 1905 in Brooklyn, New York, and now distributes its products throughout the United States. It has been based in Sarasota, Florida, since 2001.[1]

The company is not publicly traded. Shares are closely held by the founder's descendants.

History

Frank Brunckhorst began distributing cold cuts and hot dogs under the Boar's Head name in 1905. By 1933, distribution of Boar's Head products had grown, and Brunckhorst and his partners, Bruno Bischoff and Theodore Weiler,[2] decided to open a manufacturing plant. The first plant was started in a small building in Brooklyn with three employees.

Brunckhorst's son (also Frank Brunckhorst) took over the business; Frank Brunckhorst II died in 1972 at age 65.[3]

Fatalities linked to products

With an initial reported case of illness on May 29, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that a listeriosis outbreak could be traced to Boar's Heads products, linked to 10 deaths and 59 hospitalizations as of September 25, 2024.[12] Unreported illnesses may have accounted for higher actual incidents of illness. This represented the largest listeriosis outbreak on record since 2011.[13] The company immediately recalled a large selection of products.[14] In July 2024, the company issued a recall on over 7 million pounds of its products produced at a plant in Greensville County, Virginia, near the town of Jarratt.[15] On September 13, 2024, Boar's Head announced that they would close the Jarratt plant indefinitely and discontinue sales of liverwurst permanently.[16]

Ongoing monthly inspections from August 2023 through July 2024 at the Jarratt plant reported black mold, surfaces contaminated with "meat over-spray", and an unknown substance dripping from the ceiling. The Food Safety and Inspection Service had observed multiple noncompliance findings every month from August 2023 through July 2024 in a 44-page report. Noncompliance was found in operations, labeling, and sanitation performance standards.[17][18]

Multiple lawsuits were filed against Boar's Head following the listeria outbreak alleging a wide range of complaints from false advertising to wrongful death.[19]

In January 2025, the USDA released inspection records that revealed unsanitary conditions at several Boar's Head deli meat plants, including one in Petersburg, Virginia. According to news reports, there were similar problems at the plants as there were in Jarratt, including equipment covered in meat scraps. The Petersburg facility was cited for noncompliance multiple times by the USDA, most recently in August 2025. An inspector wrote that “the establishment continues to fail to prevent product from becoming adulterated or contaminated.”[20]

In November 2025, Boar's Head voluntarily recalled thousands of units of pecorino romano cheese after testing positive for listeria.[21]

trading name	Boar's Head Brand
type	Private
industry	Delicatessen meats and cheeses
foundation	1905, in Brooklyn, New York
founder	Frank Brunckhorst
location city	Sarasota, Florida
location country	United States
area served	United States, Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico
key people	* Robert S. Martin (Co-chief executive) * Carlos Giraldo (President) * Steve Kourelakos (Chief financial officer)
products	Franks, deli meat, cheeses, hummus, condiments, soups, pickles
revenue	$3 billion
owner	* Brunckhorst family * Bischoff family
homepage	https://boarshead.com/

Boar's Head Provision Company

History

Fatalities linked to products

External links

References