The current Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to recalled Queseria Bendita soft cheeses (and sour cream) has sickened three people and killed one person in Washington state. Soft cheeses are not recommended as part of a pregnancy diet, along with deli meats and unpasteurized milk for this reason. But why are soft cheeses a Listeria risk? First of all, any soft cheese made with unpasteurized milk is a risky food. Raw milk can, and does, contain many pathogenic bacteria from E. coli to Campylobacter to Listeria monocytogenes. The FDA developed a draft assessment on the risk of consumers contracting listeriosis from soft cheeses in 2013. They found that soft cheese made from unpasteurized milk has a risk of containing Listeria bacteria 50 to 160 mites higher than soft cheeses made … [Read more...]
Listeria Outbreak Linked to Recalled Queseria Bendita Cheese
A Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Queseria Bendita cheese of Yakima, Washington has sickened at least three people. One person has died, and two people have been hospitalized in this outbreak. Those sickened consumed soft cheeses made by Queseria Bendita; those cheeses have been recalled. The cheeses were distributed to Hispanic grocery stores in Washington and Oregon. Queseria Bendita also sold products from its on-site store in Yakima. The cheeses have been recalled as a result of an investigation and samples taken by the FDA. The company has agreed to cease production and distribution of all of its products. The recalled products are Panela cheese in 1 pound packages, Queso Fresco in 1 pound and 3 pound packages, Requeson cheese in 1 pound packages, and … [Read more...]
Three in Tulare County, CA Sick with Salmonella from Cheese
According to the Tulare County Public Health Department's Facebook page, three people in that county in Califonria have become ill with Salmonella from eating cheese purchased from an unlicensed cheese maker. A vendor in Woodlake is apparently selling these cheeses door-to-door. Leftover cheese was tested and was contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. The vendor has not been identified and may still be selling cheese. It is a violation of the California Retail Food Code to sell food without a permit, and a violation to make cheese in with no permit. The types of cheeses that may be contaminated are queso fresco, panela, queso seco, asadero, queso Oaxaca, queso Cotija, and crema. The products may be made with unpasteurized, or raw milk, that is often contaminated with pathogenic … [Read more...]
Listeria in Soft Cheese Sickens 3, Kills 1
Listeria in Oasis brand soft cheese has killed one person and sickened two others, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oasis issued an August 4 recall for quesito casero, an October 6 recall for cuajada en hoja, and an October 16 recall for various cheeses sold under the Lacteos Santa Martha brand. Consumers who have purchased these cheeses should not eat them as they risk serious illness or death if they do. Health officials used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to compare the strains of the Listeria monocytogenes isolated from the recalled quesito casero cheese and the strain isolated from the three case patients and found that they were highly related. The three cases were reported from three states: … [Read more...]
