Maytag Dairy Farms in Newton, Iowa is recalling raw blue cheese for possible Listeria contamination, according to KCCI in Des Moines. Consumers who have purchased these cheese should not eat them as Listeria can cause serious illness and death.
The cheeses were packaged on January 6 in 4 and 8 oz-wedges, 2 and 4-lb wheels and 5-pound crumbles. Some were distributed to HoQ restaurant in Des Moines, the Bear Restaurant in Ankeny, Wine Experience in West Des Moines, Fareway in Newton and Lomar Distributing, Inc. in Des Moines , KCCI reports. The recalled cheese was also at Maytag Dairy Farms.
Symptoms of a Listeria infection, which can take up to 70 days to develop, include headache, stiff neck, fever, muscle aches, weakness and fatigue. These symptoms are sometimes preceded by gastrointestinal symptoms.
Those most at risk for a Listeria infection are young children, seniors, those with compromised immune systems and pregnant women. Among pregnant women, Listeria infections can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or infection in newborns even if the mother experiences only mild flu-like symptoms.
The problem was discovered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Dairy Products Control Bureau during routine testing. At the time of the recall, there had been no reported cases of Listeria monocytogenes since the product was packaged.
