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...]
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...]
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...]