Vulto Creamery of Walton, New York, has voluntarily expanded their recall of raw milk cheeses after their Ouleout cheese was linked to a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. Six people have been sickened in this outbreak so far, and two of those patients have died.
Walton Umber Cheese is an unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese
The previous recall included Heinnenellie, Miranda, Willowemoc, and Ouleout raw milk cheeses. The new recall adds Andes, Blue Blais, Hamden, and Walton Umber to the list. You can see pictures of the recalled cheeses on the FDA website along with product descriptions. These raw milk cheeses were distributed nationwide, with most sold at retail locations in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and California. They were also sold in Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; and Washington, D.C. We don’t know the dates of distribution, because the recall notice omits them.
Testing from the FDA and the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets identified Listeria contamination in the Ouleout cheese. If you purchased any of these products, do not eat them. Throw them away in a sealed container, or take them back to the place of purchase for a refund.
It’s important to then clean out your refrigerator with a solution of one tablespoon liquid chlorine bleach in one gallon of hot water to kill any bacteria. Listeria bacteria grow at refrigerator temperatures. Once the bacteria are established it is very difficult to get rid of them. Freezing does not kill this hardy bacteria. Wash your hands after handling any of these recalled products.
The symptoms of listeriosis can take up to 70 days to appear after you are exposed to the pathogenic bacteria. Those symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Some people, especially pregnant women, may only feel mildly sick with flu-like symptoms, but this illness can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and fetal infection. If you ate any of these cheeses and have been sick, see your doctor because you may be part of this outbreak.
Vulto Creamery has halted production and distribution of all cheese products. The FDA and the company are investigating the source of the problem.
