Pennsylvania – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced a large number of people across the country who have been infected with listeria found in contaminated cheese. 25 brands of cheese are sold nationwide.
A total of 6 cases are associated with the outbreak from Old Europe Cheese, Inc. The recall includes brie and camembert cheeses.
Affected products were distributed to retailers including Stop & Shop, Whole Foods and Lidl from August 1 through Wednesday. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the recall affects some products from the following brands:
- Lenny Pico
- black bear
- block & barrel
- charmant
- cobblestone
- culinary tour
- fredericks
- fresh thyme
- Glenview Farms
- Good & Gather
- Heinen’s
- Jeanne d’Arc
- La Bonne Vie
- Lidl priority selection
- Life in Provence
- Matryd
- Market 32
- metropolitan
- prestige
- Primo Talio
- red apple cheese
- sun landau
- taste of inspiration
- Saint Rocco
- Trader Joe’s
The recalled products have a shelf life of September 28th through December 14th. See full list of affected products with photos.
The listeria outbreak includes six cases, including one in New Jersey, according to the CDC. Five people were hospitalized, but no deaths were reported. Federal health officials said the last illness onset was August 5, with cases dating back to 2017.
Listeria can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections in young children, the frail or elderly, and others with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA. Listeria causes only short-term symptoms such as stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, but it can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths during pregnancy.
The recall occurred after a complete environmental audit of 120 samples of both products and company facilities. None of the products showed contamination, according to the FDA, but samples from one facility tested positive. increase.
The recall notice states, “A potential source of contamination has been identified and Old Europe Cheese is taking aggressive measures to eliminate it. Production of these products has been halted and the company has applied It will not resume until we have full confidence in the effectiveness of the measures taken.”
Health officials have advised consumers, restaurants and retailers to throw out affected cheeses. Retailers may have repackaged large quantities of cheese products into smaller containers and sold the repackaged products to customers without the original labels or product information. , contact your retailer or discard, FDA says.
Old Europe Cheese has a telephone line to answer recall questions: 269-925-5003 ext. 335, available weekdays from 9am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 4pm.
Consumers with symptoms should contact their healthcare providers, the FDA said. To report an adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction) complaint, a consumer can:
With report from patcher Josh Bakan
