Cooperstown Cheese Company cheeses are being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. No illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of these cheeses. The recalling firm is Cooperstown Cheese Company of Milford, New York.
The cheeses were sold in New York state through farmers markets, restaurants, and retail stores. In a retail store, the product may be repackaged and wrapped in cellophane or cheese paper or vacuum sealed. At farmers markets, the product is wrapped in cheese paper or plastic. You can see pictures of recalled product labels at the FDA web site.
The recalled products are Cooperstown Cheese Company cheese that are labeled as Jersey Girl, Toma Celena, and Abbie. The products found at farmers markets are labelled as Jersey Girl, Toma Celena, SK, Jersey Gold, Marielle, Jersey Girl with garlic/rosemary, Jersey Girl spring onion, Bobby’s got the Blues, Toma Torino, Jersey Gold with garlic, and Abbie. When cut and wrapped, the cheese would last about two weeks, depending on storage. In restaurants, the products are labeled as Jersey Girl and Toma Celena. All cheeses have Cooperstown Cheese Company labels that contain the company contact information.
The contamination was discovered through routine environmental testing by the firm and also during an FDA inspection. The company has stopped producing the cheese as they and the FDA investigate the problem.
If you bought any of these recalled items, do not eat them, even if you plan to cook with the cheese because of the possibility of cross-contamination. You can throw the cheese away in a sealed container in a secure trash can, or you can take it back to the store where you purchased it for a full refund.
If you ate any of these cheeses, monitor your health for the symptoms of listeriosis, which can take up to 70 days to appear. If you do get sick, see your doctor.
