MDS Foods of Massillon, Ohio is recalling many brands of cheese for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Deutsch Kase Hause, LLC of Middleburg, Indiana supplied MDS Foods with Colby and Colby Jack mini horn cheeses that are contaminated with the pathogenic bacteria. At the time of the news release on February 11, 2017, no illnesses had been reported.
You can see the long list of recalled cheeses, along with the brand name, package sizes, UPC numbers, pictures of package labels, and date codes at the FDA web site. The brand names include Amish Classics, Deli Readi, Deli Made EZ, Meijer, Lipari Old Tyme, and Duck Deli. The cheese types include Cheddar, Hot Pepper, Colby, Swiss Sandwich Cup, Jalapeño RW Fullmoon, and Colby Jack, among others. These products were distributed nationwide.
If you purchased any of the cheeses listed in the notice, do not eat it. Throw it away or take it back to the place of purchase for a refund. Then clean out your refrigerator using a mild bleach solution, since this bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures.
If you ate any of these recalled products, watch yourself for the symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning for the next 70 days. It can take that long for symptoms to appear. Those symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Pregnant women can suffer miscarriage or stillbirth if they contract listeriosis, even though they only may have a mild illness. If you do feel sick, see your doctor.
