GREENSBORO, N.C. (NCN News) – It has been a familiar fixture on North Carolina tables for generations. Now it has disappeared and there are lots of unanswered questions.
Retailers have told multiple media outlets they are no longer receiving deliveries from Neese’s Sausage.
The company operates a facility in Greensboro, but there’s USDA documents which show that plant has been shut down since the USDA issued a September, 2025 “notice of suspension”. A spokesman for the federal agency told WGHP that the plant could not open unless there’s follow up from the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The suspension involved what the USDA called was “ready-to-eat products and federal food safety requirements tied to preventing listeria contamination in cooked products.”
A link for the company’s website lists a “404 not found” error. Attempts by local television stations and other news outlets to contact the company had been met with silence. WFMY reported there was activity at the Greensboro plant Friday (May
There have also been reports that there was a roof collapse at the company’s plant sometime in December.
What is the history of Neeses’ ?
According to NCPedia.org, “Neeses’ was founded in 1917 has been making sausage since the 1800’s, though until the twentieth century it was only for home use. In 1917, JT Neese began selling his family’s sausage products to friends and neighbors in Greensboro out of a covered wagon.
In the 1920’s Neese’s wife, Annie Smith Neese, added her secret liver pudding recipe to the products offered, and it became equally popular. By 1930 the business was flourishing, and sons Tom and Homer Neese officially took over the company.”
The entry goes on the note: “the Neese’s Country Sausage is run by the 4th generation of the family. The company is noted for their products rectangular block shape, as well as its lack of meat additives and fillers. Products sold now include, in addition to the traditional sausage and liver pudding, varieties of livermush, scrapple, souse, and bacon.”
Thomas Rice Neese Jr., the longtime president and CEO, died April 3, at the age of 92.
What is livermush, liver pudding ? Who else makes it?
Livermush and liver pudding are made from pig liver, head parts, cornmeal, and spices (often sage and pepper) formed into a loaf. They are similar, but livermush is generally coarser, while liver pudding has a smoother texture. Both are usually fried and often served at breakfast.
While not quite as high profile as North Carolina’s great barbecue debate, the preferred type depends a great deal on what part of North Carolina you live in. Liver pudding is more popular in the eastern part of the state while the western part of the state prefers livermush. In addition to Neese’s, several other companies make the products including Corriher’s in Landis, Hunter’s in Marion, Jenkins in Shelby, and Mack’s in Shelby.