Farm Country Cheese House of Michigan is recalling 1136 pounds of Raw Milk Cheddar cheese because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to date, but listeriosis, the illness caused by this bacteria, can take up to 70 days to manifest.
The recalled product was packaged under two different labels. The first has the Farm Country Cheese House logo on the far left hand side, and the product name of Raw Milk Cheddar on top of the label. It is sold as an 8 ounce block. The product has “Use by Date” on the back of the cheese. Those dates are between October 28, 2015 and December 5, 2015. The label also has a Julian Date in the lower right hand corner: 14301, 14302, 14308, 14309, 14324, 14325, 14332, 14336, or 14339.
The second label has Farm House Country Cheese House logo on the far left side, and Raw Milk Cheddar written in white over a light blue banner. The “Use by Date” on the back is between October 28, 2015 and December 5, 2015. There are no Julian dates. The cheese is packaged in 8 ounce blocks and 5 pound loaves. Both of these cheeses were distributed in the Grand Rapids metro area and the Detroit metro area in Michigan through retail stores and specialty shops.
If you purchased these products, do not eat them. Discard in a sealed container or return to the place of purchase for a refund. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Clean out your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution, since Listeria bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
If you have eaten these products, monitor yourself for the symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes for the next 70 days. They include muscle aches, fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, nausea, and vomiting. Pregnant women may be only mildly sick with flu-like symptoms, but this infection can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or infection of the newborn baby. If you do get sick, see your doctor immediately and tell her you ate this recalled cheese.
