Forever Cheese of New York is recalling 40 cases of Mitica brand Pecorino Aged Cheese in Walnut Leaves from one specific production code between it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this product, but listeriosis, the illness caused by this bacteria, can take up to 70 days to appear.
The recalled product is Mitica brand Pecorino Aged in Walnut Leaves (Pecorino Foglie di Noci) that was shipped to distributors between January 27 and February 3, 2016. The imported cheese was further sold to retailers and restaurants in Los Angeles California, Cleveland Ohio, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, New York, Colorado, Vermont, Virginia, Florida, and Connecticut.
The production lot code is NOC15313 found on the shipping case only. Each shipping case has 2 wheels of varying weights. Each wheel weighs a minimum of 2 pounds. The cheese has a natural grayish rind. It will be labeled at the point of sale, either at the retail level or on a restaurant menu. Every distributor and retailer has been contacted to remove all product from the marketplace.
If you purchased this cheese, do not eat it. Throw it away in a sealed container or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Then wash your refrigerator and anywhere the cheese may have been with a mild bleach solution. Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, so this step is crucial. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling the cheese and cleaning the fridge.
If you ate any of this recalled cheese, monitor yourself for the symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning for the next 70 days. Those symptoms include flu-like fever and muscle aches, headache, muscle aches, stiff neck, nausea, and vomiting. Pregnant women may only have a mild flu-like illness, but this infection can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and serious infection in the newborn baby.
