Cricket Creek Farm Cheese is being recalled after one Listeria monocytogenes illness was reported. The recalling firm is Cricket Creek Farm of Williamstown, Massachusetts. The recalled products are 165 pounds of Sophelise cheese and 149 pounds of Tobasi cheese. The cheeses were distributed in Massachusetts and New York through these stores: Wild Oats in Williamstown, Massachusetts; Provisions Williamstown in Williamstown, Massachusetts; McEnroe Organic Farm Market in Millerton, New York; New Lebanon Farmers Market in New Lebanon, New York; and at restaurants and farmers markets. You can see pictures of these cheeses at the FDA web site. Sophelise is a washed, pasteurized milk cheese with a soft rind and pinkish hue. The circular cheese is four inches in diameter and about one … [Read more...]
Le Fromage au Village Raw Cheddar Recalled For Listeria
Le Fromage au Village Raw Cheddar Cheese is being recalled in Canada for Listeria monocytogenes contamination. An investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak triggered this recall. There have been illnesses reported that may be associated with the consumption of this product. The government is conducting further testing. The recalling firm is Le Fromage au Village Inc. This warning is an update of a recall that was issued on February 11, 2023 to correctly identify the recalled products. The lot dates changed. You can see pictures of the recalled product at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) web site. These products were sold in Ontario and Quebec at the retail level and were also sold online. The cheeses may also have been sold in other provinces and … [Read more...]
Keswick Creamery Cheeses Recalled For Possible Listeria
Keswick Creamery cheeses, made from both raw and unpasteurized milk, are being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This recall was not posted on the FDA's main food recall page, but is on the Access Data FDA Enforcement report pages. This establishment is Keswick Creamery at Carrock Farms LLC that is located at 114 Lesher Road in Newburg, Pennsylvania. This is a voluntary recall that was initiated by the firm. The cheeses were distributed in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania in stores and at farmers markets. This type of recall notice does not state whether or not anyone has been sickened in relation to the consumption of these products. The recall notice states that "All products manufactured by the firm have the potential to be … [Read more...]
Raw Milk Gouda-Like E. coli O121 Outbreak in Canada Recommendations
A report on a raw milk Gouda-like E. coli O121 outbreak in British Columbia, Canada in 2018 has prompted recommendations for more controls on this type of product. The outbreak in 2018 sickened seven people. Four of the seven cases ate the same raw milk Gouda-type cheese between August and October 2018. The implicated cheese was aged longer than the minimum requirement of 60 days, and investigators found no production deficiencies at the facility. The dairy plant was compliant with current Canadian regulatory requirements. One sample of the cheese tested positive for E. coli O121. The investigators recommend that raw milk Gouda and Gouda-like cheeses should be labeled to increase consumer awareness of the potential risks in these types of products. They also recommend … [Read more...]
High Point Dairy Monterey Jack Raw Milk Cheese Recalled For Listeria
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets warned consumers not to eat High Point Dairy Monterey Jack raw milk cheese made by High Point Dairy for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The dairy is located at 605 Fiery Hill Road in Fort Plain, New York. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue. The cheese is packaged in 1/2 pound, 2 pound, and five pound sizes in vacuum sealed clear plastic. The name High Point Dairy Monterey Jack is on the label, along with "aged 60 days," and the make date of 3-6-2020. The consumer alert affects all packages with this code. But, any package with an unknown code date that was purchased after May 12, 2020 shouldn't be eaten. The product was sold at Manor Farm, 5356 St Rt 167, Little Falls, NY 13365; … [Read more...]
The Maiden’s Creamery Raw Goat Milk Cheese May Contain Listeria Monocytogenes Bacteria
Consumers are being warned that raw goat milk cheese made by the Maiden's Creamery in New York may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets released a statement about this issue. The dairy is located at 1277 Copes Corner Road in South New Berlin in South Berlin in Chenango County, New York. The cheese tasted positive for the pathogenic bacteria during routine sampling conducted at the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on February 20, 2018. The dairy was notified about the positive result on February 23, 2018, and the product was recalled voluntarily. Then on March 2, 2018, the test results were confirmed. The recalled cheese is packaged in different sized sealed flexible plastic packaging. The plant … [Read more...]
Journal of Food Protection Looks at 2013 Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Linked to Raw Milk Cheese in Canada
The Journal of Food Protection has released a study looking at an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Canada in 2013 that was linked to raw milk cheese. In that outbreak, 29 people in five provinces were sickened with the outbreak strain of bacteria. Five people were hospitalized in that outbreak, and one person died. Officials interviewed patients and found that twenty-six of twenty-seven people, or 90%, ate Gouda raw milk cheese that came from a dairy plant in British Columbia. All of the 22 patients who provided details about the cheese said that the Gouda cheese was made with raw milk. Most raw milk cheese that has been aged is likely to not contain enough pathogenic bacteria to make someone sick. But this cheese had been aged for a minimum of 60 days. Officials found the outbreak … [Read more...]
Listeria Outbreak in Rhode Island Prompts Warning of Raw Cheese
A Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has sickened two people in Rhode Island, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health. This outbreak has prompted officials to issue a health warning about unpasteurized queso fresco (Mexican cheese). Queso fresco is a type of soft Mexican cheese. All cheeses, including Queso fresco, queso blanco, panela, and asadero-style cheeses are only considered safe when they are marked with a professional label stating that they are "pasteurized" or "made from pasteurized milk." Homemade queso fresco is sometimes made with raw milk. Raw milk can be contaminated with pathogens that can cause serious illness. The pasteurization process kills pathogenic bacteria. The warning especially applies to pregnant women, who can suffer serious complications … [Read more...]
Whole Foods Expands Listeria Vulto Creamery Cheese Recall
In response to Vulto Creamery's expanded recall of raw milk cheeses for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination over the weekend, Whole Foods Market is expanding its recall of their products. These cheese were sold in eight stores in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. As of March 10, 2017, Vulto Creamery is reporting that the bacteria is responsible for six illnesses and two deaths. But Whole Foods Market has not received any reports of illness or injuries from customers who purchased the raw cheeses from their stores. The recall expansion includes Vulto Creamery Andes, Hamden, and Walton Umber raw milk cheeses. They were cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap with scale labels beginning with PLU codes 0200307, 0201357 or 0206308 and "sell by" dates from 01/02/2017 to … [Read more...]
History of Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreaks Linked to Cheese
Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks don't occur very often. About 1,600 Americans are sickened every year by this pathogenic bacteria. But when they do occur people are seriously sickened and some die. So how many listeriosis outbreaks have been linked to cheeses? In the last five years, there have been six outbreaks linked to cheese products caused by this pathogenic bacteria. In five of the outbreaks, the cheeses were made from pasteurized milk, but were contaminated after that process. In the current outbreak, the cheeses were made from raw, or unpasteurized, milk. Most of these outbreaks are linked to soft cheeses. In 2015, a listeriosis outbreak linked to soft cheeses produced by Karoun Dairies of California sickened 30 people in 10 states, killing three and causing one … [Read more...]
