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 Contamination Prompts Expanded Recall Of Mexicali Cheese
Problems persist at Mexicali Cheese Corp. where Listeria contamination has prompted an expanded recall of cheese products, according to the New York State Department of Agriculture (NYDA). On July 2, the NYDA announced an expansion of a recall that was issued June 29 after Listeria monocytogenes was discovered in cheese samples taken during routine inspection. There are now four cheeses under recall for possible Listeria contamination: Mexicali Queso Fresco Mexicano, Mexican Style Fresh Cheese; Acatlan Queso Fresco, Fresh Cheese; Mi Quesito Mexicano, Mexican Cheese; and Quesillo Ecuatoriano, Ecuadorian Style Cheese. Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. Pregnant women are among those who are most susceptible, although they may only experience … [Read more...]
New Yorkers Warned to Avoid Queso Fresco From Mexicali Cheese
New York Agriculture Commissioner Darrel Aubertine warned consumers in the metropolitan New York area to avoid Queso Fresco made by Mexicali Cheese Corporation in Woodhaven, New York, for possible Listeria contamination. Product details: Queso Fresco, Fresh Cheese Packaged in rigid 14 ounce plastic tubs Plant number 36-0128 Code of 071512 Packaged in containers bearing these names: Mexicali Queso Fresco Mexicano Mexican Style Fresh Cheese Acatian Queso Fresco, Fresh Cheese Sold in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens, along with metropolitan New York A sample of the cheese, taken by the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on June 20, 2012, and tested by the Department's Food Laboratory, was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The company … [Read more...]
FDA Takes Action Against New York Manufacturer of Mexicali Cheese
The FDA wants a judge to block the maker of Mexicali cheese from operating in its New York manufacturing facility because of "persistent unsanitary conditions" that contributed to the spread of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The agency's legal action in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York is against Mexicali Cheese of Woodhaven, N.Y., and two of its officers. A civil complaint seeks a permanent injunction in hopes of protecting consumers from possible food poisoning. The lawsuit follows an FDA Warning Letter to the company in October 2010 and a recall of "Queso Cotija Cheese" in August of the same year. The Warning Letter was issued after three days of inspection at the plant found Listeria in five locations along with numerous food safety violations, including … [Read more...]
