Corner Court Pauses Offering of Boar's Head Products Following National Listeria Outbreak

The Corner Court entrance outside the Barbara Massey Center, Braden Simmons

Corner Court has stopped serving Boar’s Head Deli chicken, turkey and ham sandwiches after a listeria outbreak occurred nationally. 

There were no known cases at Belmont, but out of caution, the eatery removed all meat and cheeses made by Boar’s Head.  

Boar’s Head had a nationwide recall after listeria was found in liverwurst at one of its plants in Virginia. The company started an initial recall for the liverwurst in July but expanded it to all other products at the facility. 

Since then, 57 people have been hospitalized and nine died from the listeria outbreak, according to the Center for Disease Control. 

Boar’s Head in a national statement said it regrets the impact the recall has had: “No words can fully express our sympathies and the sincere and deep hurt we feel for those who have suffered losses or endured illness.” 

Nationally, Sodexo removed Boar’s Head products on Aug. 30 from all of its locations including on Belmont’s campus, said Chuck Couture, the Belmont district manager for Sodexo in a statement. 

“As a responsible partner and to protect customers, all Sodexo accounts will cease the use of Boar’s Head products until further notice,” he said. 

Students who regularly eat at The Corner Court were disappointed by the news. 

“I went multiple times a week, that’s where I spent all my declining points,” said senior Chase McMaster. “I just found out today when I went to corner court to get a footlong sandwich, and they announced that they didn't have some of the cheeses that they would get from Boar’s Head or the deli meats…which is unfortunate because I love Boar’s Head Deli meat.” 

But Belmont still has the meats (and cheeses). They will just come from other vendors.  

But for some diehard foot-long aficionados, the taste just isn’t quite the same. 

“The meat that I had today was honestly not that good,” said McMaster. “It was a pretty mediocre sandwich.” 

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This article was written by Braden Simmons