Ticker: 10th listeria death reported in Boar’s Head outbreak; Coca-Cola cancels Spiced
A 10th person has died in the listeria outbreak that shuttered a Boar’s Head deli meat plant, federal health officials said Wednesday.
At least 59 people in 19 states have been sickened by the bacteria first detected in liverwurst made at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant. Illnesses were reported between late May and late August, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. All of those who fell ill were hospitalized.
The latest fatality was reported in New York, bringing the total deaths to two each in New York and South Carolina and one each in Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee and New Mexico.
The Sarasota, Florida-based company announced on Sept. 13 that it was closing the Jarratt plant and discontinuing production of liverwurst. The moves came after inspection reports revealed problems including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment dating back at least two years.
Coca-Cola cancels Spiced
Coca-Cola Co. is discontinuing its newest “permanent” flavor a little more than seven months after putting it on the market.
The beverage giant said Wednesday that Coca-Cola Spiced and Coca-Cola Spiced Zero Sugar will be phased out and replaced with a new flavor that will be introduced next year.
“We’re always looking at what our consumers like and adjusting our range of products,” the Atlanta-based company said in a statement.
Coca-Cola Spiced went on sale in the U.S. and Canada on Feb. 19. At the time, the company said it would be the first new permanent addition to its North American portfolio in three years.