BeiHollow Farm raw milk cheddar cheese is being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Anyone who ate that cheese is at risk of getting sick. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this product. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture purchased some cheese and confirmed that the product was contaminated.
BeiHollow Farm is located at 314 Chubb Road in Elizabethville, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The cheese was sold at Racoon Valley Farm that is located at 593 Raccoon Valley Road in Millerstown in Perry County, Pennsylvania. Other locations where the cheese was sold are not known at this time.
The producer has refused to recall this cheese, provide a list of outlets that sell the cheese, or cooperate with the state food safety inspectors to determine the extent of the contamination.
This pathogen causes listeriosis, a serious illness, that can especially affect small children, pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone with a chronic illness or compromised immune system. Listeriosis in pregnant women can cause miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, and infection of the newborn.
If you purchased BeiHollow Farm raw milk cheddar, do not eat it and do not use it in cooking because of the possibility of cross contamination. You can throw the cheese away in a secure trash can with a tight fitting lid so others can’t access it, or you can take it back to the store or farm where you bought it for a refund. Clean your refrigerator with a mild bleach solution after you discard the cheese.
If you ate this cheese, monitor your health for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days. That’s how long it can take for symptoms to appear. If you do get sick, see your doctor.
