Senator Richard Blumenthal is calling for a federal probe following the recent listeria outbreak in Boar's Head meat products, stemming from a plant in Virginia.

The outbreak is responsible for nine deaths and more than 50 hospitalizations nationwide.

"The outbreak of listeria in Boar's Head meat products should have been caught, could have been stopped by the United States Department of Agriculture,” said Blumenthal. “I want an investigation as to why those lax inspection procedures caused these deaths and sicknesses."

He says a long series of violations by the company point to a pattern of noncompliance with federal regulations.