Raw dairy products were the source of one recall and one outbreak this week. French cheese made with raw milk was recalled for possible Listeria contamination in 19 states and Washington DC. Consumers who have this cheese should not eat it. Although no illnesses have been reported in association with the recall, Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. Young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant women and others with weakened immune systems are at particular risk. Among pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths. In Pennsylvania, raw milk produced by The Family Cow farm has, for the third time in less than two years, been the source of a Campylobacter outbreak. At least two illnesses were reported. Farm owner Edwin Shank's response to these … [Read more...]
Whole Foods Raw Cheese Recalled for Possible Listeria
Whole Foods Market is recalling Trois Comtois Morbier cheese for possible Listeria contamination. The recalled cheese was sold in the Mid Atlantic, Southwest, Northern California, Southern Pacific and Midwest regions. Customers who have purchased this cheese should not eat it. The recalled Trois Comtois Morbier was sold in 11-pound wheels which were then cut and wrapped in varying weights and are labeled with a Whole Foods Market scale label. Following is the label information for each region. In Arizona, southern California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, and the cheese was labeled "Morbier Raw Milk" with the PLU 293358. In Ohio, Virginia and Washington D.C., the cheese was labeled "Morbier AOC Le Trois" with the PLU 293608. In Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska … [Read more...]
Minneapolis Restaurant Butcher & The Boar Part of Crave Brothers Listeria Cheese Recall
A premier Minnesota restaurant, Butcher & The Boar, is the only restaurant in the state named by Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Company as a recipient of soft cheese associated with a deadly outbreak of listeriosis. Whole Foods Markets, Lunds, Byerlys, Rainbow, Kowalski's and other grocery retailers also sold the cheese, as did restaurants in Wisconsin and Illinois. The recalled gourmet cheese has been associated with a Listeria death in Minnesota, a second Minnesota illness and individual cases of listeriosis in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. All five people were hospitalized and one infection in a pregnant woman resulted in miscarriage. Laboratory tests conducted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture on samples of Les Frères and Petit Frère with Truffles cheeses made by Crave … [Read more...]
Crave Bros Les Freres Cheese Recall, Listeria Outbreak
A Listeria outbreak has prompted Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Company of Waterloo, WI to issue a recall for Les Freres cheese products. The outbreak has sickened five people, caused one miscarriage and killed one person in Minnesota. The products under recall were sold nationwide at Whole Foods and Kroger stores, through mail order and at regional grocery stores in the following 13 states: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. The cheese was also served in at foodservice outlets and restaurants including Bacchus in Milwaukee, Merchant in Madison, and Butcher and the Boar In Minneapolis. The recalled products are: Les Freres (LF225 2/2.5#) with a "make date" of 7-1-13 or prior, packaged … [Read more...]
Crave Bros Cheese Listeria Outbreak Causes Death, Miscarriage
A Listeria outbreak linked to Crave Brothers cheese has hospitalized all five people that it has sickened, killing one of them and triggering a miscarriage in another, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Illnesses have been reported in Minnesota (2), Indiana (1), Illinois (1), and Ohio (1). Crave Brothers has issued a recall for affected cheese products which were sold nationwide at Whole Foods and Kroger stores, through mail order, at regional grocery stores in 13 states and served at foodservice outlets and restaurants. The recalled products are: Les Freres (LF225 2/2.5#) with a make date of 7-1-13 or prior, packaged in white plastic with a green and gold label, Petit Frere (PF88 8/8 oz) with a make date of 7-1-13 or prior, packaged in small round wooden boxes; … [Read more...]
Forever Cheese Listeria Outbreak Grows to 20, Lawsuit Filed against Whole Foods Market
The Listeria outbreak linked to Forever Cheese, Inc. Frescolina ricotta salata has grown to 20 CDC-confirmed illnesses. 4 adults and an unborn baby died. The number of confirmed cases in each state is as follows: California (3), Colorado (1), District of Columbia (1), Maryland (3), Minnesota (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (3), New Mexico (1), New York (1), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (2), Virginia (1), and Washington (1). The contaminated ricotta salata was distributed to retailers and restaurants. One of the retailers was Whole Foods Market, which cut and repackaged the cheese with a Whole Foods label. A lawsuit filed against Whole Foods Market and Forever Cheese on behalf of a listeriosis victim claims this repackaging by Whole Foods caused other cheeses to become contaminated with the … [Read more...]
Mexicali Cheese Corp. Did Not Shut Down After Consent Decree
After reporting on the Mexicali Cheese Listeria recall for Listeria monocytogenes in July, we wondered why this company was in the news again. In January 2012, the FDA asked a judge to block the company from operating in its New York manufacturing facility because of "persistent unsanitary conditions" that contributed to the contamination. So we filed a Freedom of Information request to find out. And received a startling document from the Food and Drug Administration. It states that "your firm did not cease operations after signing the Consent Decree and continued to manufacture ready-to-eat cheeses from May 1, 2012 to the present [7/3/12] without receiving written notice from the FDA that your firm appears to be in compliance with the requirements set forth in the Consent … [Read more...]
Listeria Lawsuit: Outbreak Linked to Forever Cheese Frescolina Ricotta Salata Grows
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have updated their investigation into the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to imported Frescolina Marte brand ricotta salata cheese. Now 20 people in 13 states have been sickened in this outbreak. Nineteen people have been hospitalized, and four have died. One fetal loss was also reported. The case count is distributed in these states: California (3), Colorado (1), District of Columbia (1), Maryland (3), Minnesota (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (3), New Mexico (1), New York (1), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (2), Virginia (1), and Washington (1). Clinical specimens were collected from March 28, 2012 to September 19, 2012. Nine of the illnesses were related to a pregnancy; three of the illnesses were diagnosed in newborns. the other 11 … [Read more...]
Listeria Outbreak Linked to Frescolina Ricotta Salata Grows to Include Washington
The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to imported Marte brand Frescolina ricotta salata cheese has grown. Now 15 people have been sickened with the outbreak strain of the bacteria in 12 states and the District of Columbia. The case numbers by state are as follows: California (1), Colorado (1), District of Columbia (1), Maryland (3), Minnesota (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (1), New York (1), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), Virginia (1), and Washington (1). The one new case is from Washington state. All 15 people have been hospitalized. Three deaths have been reported. Illness onset dates range from March 28, 2012 to August 30, 2012. Four of the ilnesses were related to a pregnancy. Listeriosis contributed to at least one of the deaths in Nebraska and New York, but … [Read more...]
Forever Cheese Stops Importing and Selling all Fattorie Chiarappa Products
Forever Cheese, the facility that imported and sold Frescolina ricotta salata that has been linked to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has decided to stop importing and selling all cheese from that manufacturer in Italy. The cheeses include Ricotta Salata Frescolina, Marte brand Roasted Ricotta and Hard Ricotta Salata. The company is asking all customers to destroy whatever they have in house and to notify them for credit. This recall and ban includes all lots and all production codes of Marte brand Frescolina Ricotta Salata cheese. Fourteen people have been sickened in this outbreak, and three people have died. Pritzker Olsen is representing one of the victims in a lawsuit. Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious illness. And this outbreak is complicated, since there was likely … [Read more...]
