The FDA has weighed in on the Old Europe Cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. The illnesses are linked to that company’s brie and camembert soft cheese products. The Old Europe Cheese company is located in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The cheese was sold at various retailers and under multiple labels and brands including Reny Picot.
The case count by state is: California (1), Georgia (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), New Jersey (1), and Texas (1). Five people have been hospitalized. The last illness onset date was August 5, 2022. The cheeses were sold nationwide.
The affected cheeses have best by dates ranging from September 28, 2022 to December 14, 2022, and include all flavors and quantities. The recalled products include these brands:
Reny Picot
Black Bear
Block & Barrel
Charmant
Cobblestone
Culinary Tour
Fredericks
Fresh Thyme
Glenview Farms
Good & Gather
Heinen’s
Joan of Arc
La Bonne Vie
Lidl Preferred Selection
Life in Provence
Matrie’d
Market 32
Metropolitan
Prestige
Primo Taglio
Red Apple Cheese
St. Randeaux
Taste of Inspiration
St. Rocco
Trader Joe
The cheeses were sold from August 1, 2022 through September 28, 2022, and were available for purchase at supermarkets, wholesale outlets, and retail stores across the United States and in Mexico. Retailers include:
Albertsons
Safeway
Meijer
Harding’s
Shaw’s
Price Chopper
Market Basket
Raley’s
Save Mart
Giant Foods
Stop & Shop
Fresh Thyme
Lidl
Sprouts
Athenian Foods
Whole Foods
The FDA list does not include Target, which lists Good & Gather Double Cream Brie Soft Ripened Cheese Round on its recall notice page. The FDA notice did state that the list may not include all retail stores and chains that received the cheese, and may include stores that did not receive the product. Check with your retailer about this issue if you are unsure.
The recalled cheeses include brie and camembert in these varieties: double cream, wedges, rounds, wheels, Peppercorn Wheel, slicing brie, triple creme wheel, Herb and Garlic Wheel, wedges with herbs, Metropolitan Wheel, and slicing rectangle, among others. Retailers may have repackaged bulk Old Europe cheese items into smaller containers, which may not have the original labeling and product information.
If you bought any of these items, do not eat them. You can throw them away, or take them back to the place of purchase for a refund. You should then clean your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution to kill any bacteria. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling this product.
Symptoms of listeriosis include a severe headache, high fever, muscle aches, and neck stiffness, ofter preceded by nausea and diarrhea. The people who are most often seriously sickened by this pathogen include the elderly, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions.
If you have eaten any of these cheese and have been ill, see your doctor. You may be part of this Old Europe Cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak.
If you have been diagnosed with an Listeria monocytogenes infection from contaminated food, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
