Inspectors found dozens of violations at a Boar’s Head plant in Virginia that are now being linked to a nationwide recall of deli meats, according to new data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mold, mildew and insects, among other things, were repeatedly found at the site.

Last month, Boar’s Head recalled all deli meats produced at its Jarratt, Virginia, plant after a listeria outbreak was blamed on products distributed from the plant.

The outbreak has grown to 57 hospitalizations in 18 states linked to recalled products from the plant. At least nine deaths have now been reported, including two in South Carolina and one each in Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico and New York.

“This is the largest outbreak of listeriosis since the 2011 outbreak linked to cantaloupe,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

Samples of unopened produce distributed from the Boar’s Head plant were found by authorities in multiple states to be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Genetic sequencing linked the bacteria from the produce to the strain that caused the outbreak.

People are urged to check their refrigerators for the recalled meats and clean any surfaces that may have come into contact with the meats.

“Consumers who were not aware of the recall may have eaten recalled products. People may also have suffered prolonged illness,” a South Carolina health department spokesperson said in a statement following the new deaths.

Data released to CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act request by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service lists 69 incidents of “nonconformances” reported by inspectors at the Jarratt plant over the past year.

While the agency is ultimately responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the plant, an agency spokesman said Thursday that it relies on Virginia personnel — and not USDA employees — to staff the site.

The agency is now working with the state to “ensure that the facility has an effective system in place to produce safe food for the public.”

“FSIS has suspended inspections at the Boar’s Head facility in Jarratt, Virginia, which means the facility will remain closed until the facility can demonstrate that it can produce a safe product,” an FSIS spokesperson said in a statement.

It is unclear whether Boar’s Head will face sanctions from the USDA for its repeated problems. Reports released by the agency so far show that no “enforcement actions” have been taken against the company in the past year.

The agency spokesman said Boar’s Head “has taken corrective actions in accordance with FSIS regulations.”

In a statement, a Boar’s Head spokesperson said the company deeply regrets the impact of the recall and that food safety is its “absolute priority.”

“As a USDA-inspected food manufacturer, the agency has inspectors at our Jarratt, Virginia, facility every day. If inspectors identify anything at any time that needs to be addressed, our team takes immediate action. This includes all of the issues USDA addresses in this report,” said company spokesperson Elizabeth Ward.

All operations have been suspended at the Jarratt plant, Ward said, and the company is working to sanitize the facility and retrain employees. No product will be released from the plant “until it meets the highest quality and safety standards.”

“In the meantime, we have worked with the industry’s leading food safety experts and conducted a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of the events that led to this recall,” Ward said.

In addition to issues such as missing paperwork and meat residue on equipment, the documents show that inspectors have repeatedly accused Boar’s Head of mold growth around the company’s Jarratt facilities.

In July, federal inspectors found mold and mildew around the handwashing sinks of workers responsible for processing ready-to-eat meat.

Previous data shows that mold was also found outside the steel drums the factory used, and in the cold rooms between the smokehouses on the site.

“There was a black, mold-like substance visible throughout the room at the joint between the wall and concrete. Also some caulk around the brick and metal,” they wrote in January, saying that some spots were “the size of a quarter.”

At other locations, issues with leaking or standing water were found, including a pool of “green algae growth” and condensation “dripping over the product being stored.”

After inspectors reported one of the leaks to the company, employees attempted to plug the leaks.

“The employee wiped a third time and within 10 seconds, the leak occurred again,” inspectors wrote after a problem with condensation was reported July 27 near fans that leaked the liquid onto exposed meats.

In February, an inspector found “large amounts of blood in pools on the floor” and a “rancid odor” in a cooler used at the plant.

A number of documents also show that insects have been observed in and around meat products at the plant. One case prompted the agency to label more than 440 kilograms of ham in a smokehouse hallway as “reserved” for testing.

In June, another document noted concerns about flies running in and out of “barrels of pickles” that Boar’s Head had left in a room.

“Small flying mosquito-like insects were observed crawling on the walls and flying around the room. The walls of the room had a heavy buildup of flesh,” they wrote.

Insects were also found elsewhere in the building, including ants crawling down the wall, a beetle and a cockroach.