Lipari Foods is voluntarily recalling bulk and retail cheese products under the brand names Copperwood and Lipari Old Tyme because they may be contamianted with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The cheeses were manufactured by Deutsch Kase Haus, which has issued a large recall. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue.
The cheeses were distributed to food service and retail stores throughout Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and West Virginia. You can see the long list of recalled products, along with product number, weight, sell by dates, label photos, and UPC numbers at the FDA web site. Some of the cheeses were sliced or chunked at the deli counter and have no UPC numbers. The types of recalled cheese include Colby Jack Mini Horn, Swiss Cheese, Pepper Jack Mini Horn, Colby Cheese, Colby Longhorn, and Pepper Jack, among others.
Please look at the list carefully. If you purchased any of those products, do not eat them, even if you plan to cook with the cheeses. Throw them away in a sealed or double bagged package or take them back to the store where you bought them for a full refund. Then wash your hands well with soap and water.
Clean out your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution to kill any bacteria. Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, and freezing does not kill it.
If you ate any of these recalled products, watch yourself for the symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning for the next 70 days. Those symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. If you do get sick, see your doctor.
