In a damning yet frustrating FOIA response, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has failed to provide the accountability and transparency needed in the wake of a deadly food safety crisis. The Jarratt, VA plant, responsible for the liverwurst that killed ten people and hospitalized fifty-nine, has a long history of documented violations, including product residue, insects, black mold, and water leaks. The FSIS's initial withholding of these records under FOIA Exemption 7(A) in 2024 suggested an ongoing law-enforcement investigation. However, the recent release of 78 pages of documents, now redacted under Exemptions 4, 5, and 6, signals a shift. The absence of any mention of the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the USDA Inspector General's review of the agency's own inspectors raises questions about the status of any criminal proceedings. This lack of transparency is particularly concerning given the gravity of the situation and the ongoing impact on the families of the victims. As an advocate for food safety, I am demanding an answer to a fair and narrow question: is anyone still working on this case, and will the public ever be told how it ends? The FSIS's response, which hands back records we already had and drops the law-enforcement exemption without explanation, is a shrug dressed up as a determination. Until we get the answers we need, the families of the victims and the public at large remain in the dark, and the dream of a safer food system feels a little less far off than it used to.
