Boar's Head said Friday it's closing the Virginia plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak.

The Sarasota, Florida-based company said it will also permanently discontinue production of liverwurst, the product that was linked to the deaths of at least nine people and hospitalizations of about 50 others in 18 states.

Boar's Head expressed regret and deep apologies for the outbreak in a statement on its website.

Boar's Head said an internal investigation at its Jarratt, Virginia, plant found that the contamination was the result of a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt plant and was only used for liverwurst.

The Jarratt plant hasn't been operational since late July, when Boar's Head recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meats and other products after tests confirmed listeria bacteria in its products was making people sick.

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