Whole Foods Market is recalling cheese sold in all stores nationwide that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to date, but listeriosis, the illness caused by this pathogenic bacteria, can take up to 70 days to appear.
The recalled product is cut, wrapped, and weighed Papillon Organic Roquefort Cheese with a scale label that begins with PLU 029536. All sell by dates are affected. It was cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with Whole Foods Market scale labels. Routine sampling of the cheese conducted by the FDA found the bacteria in a whole, uncut wheel of the cheese.
If you purchased this product, do not eat it. Discard in a sealed container or bring it back to the place of purchase for a refund. You can also bring your receipt for a refund. Then wash your hands well with soap and water. Clean out your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution, since this bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
If you ate this cheese, you need to watch yourself for the symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning for the next 70 days. Those symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Doctors often give pregnant women prophylactic doses of antibiotics if they ate foods suspected of containing Listeria bacteria because the bacteria can cause stillbirth and miscarriage. And pregnant women are usually only mildly ill when they contract listeriosis, with flu-like symptoms. If you have experienced these symptoms and have eaten this cheese, see your doctor as soon as possible.
