Vulto Creamery has pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce in connection to a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to that dairy's cheese in 2016 and 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In that outbreak, the soft raw milk cheese sickened at least eight people in four states, and two people died. Johannes Vulto oversaw operations at the Vulto Creamery manufacturing facility in Walton, New York, including sanitation and environmental monitoring. By entering the guilty plea, Vulto admits that between December 2014 and March 2017, they shipped adulterated cheese. Environmental swabs that were taken at the facility between July 2014 and February 2017 repeatedly tested positive for various Listeria species; … [Read more...]
Vulto Creamery Ordered to Stop Sales for Food Safety Violations
Products made by Vulto Creamery caused a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in 2017 that sickened eight people in four states. All of the patients were hospitalized. Two people died. And one infection was diagnosed in a newborn. Now the company has been placed under a consent decree of permanent injunction by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, on behalf of the FDA. The defendants cannot prepare, process, manufacture, pack, and/or hold FDA regulated food products until they can ensure that Listeria monocytogenes bacteria are not present in their food or facility. FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Melinda K. Plaisier said in a statement, "We have an obligation to make sure that foods are safe for people to consume. The FDA moved … [Read more...]
Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2017: Listeria in Vulto Creamery Raw Milk Cheese
It's time for our annual Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks lineup for 2017. These serious outbreaks sickened many people in the past year. They were all eventually linked to a food or a facility. Number ten is the deadly listeriosis outbreak that was linked to recalled Vulto Creamery soft raw milk cheeses. Soft raw milk cheeses are a risky food because they can contain pathogenic bacteria. In all, eight people in four states were sickened in this outbreak. All of those sickened in this outbreak were hospitalized because their illnesses were so serious. One illness was reported in a newborn baby. And two people died in this outbreak. The cheese were sold nationwide, but most were sold in the mid-Altnatic and northeastern states, which is where the ill persons lived. The PulseNet … [Read more...]
Vulto Creamery Raw Milk Cheese Listeriosis Outbreak Over
The multistate outbreak of listeriosis linked to Vulto Creamery soft raw milk cheese is over, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In all, eight people were sickened in four states. That is an increase of two more cases since the last update on March 13, 2017; both of those patients live in New York. All eight people were hospitalized because of their illness, and two people died, one from Connecticut and one from Vermont. One illness was reported in a newborn. The CDC is still recommending that consumers do not eat, restaurants do not serve, and retailers do not sell recalled raw milk cheeses made by Vulto Creamery. The raw milk cheeses from the Creamery were distributed nationwide. But most were sold at retail locations in the northeastern and … [Read more...]
Raw Milk Products Cause 840 Times More Illness Than Pasteurized Milk
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Emerging Infectious Diseases report for June 2017, unpasteurized milk products cause 840 times more illness and 45 times more hospitalizations than pasteurized milk products. Only about 3.2% of the population consume raw milk, and 1.6% of consumers eat raw cheese, but those products cause 96% of the illnesses linked to contaminated dairy products in this country. The number of states that allow raw milk sales increased to 30 in 2011, from 21 in 2004. Consumption of unpasteurized dairy products is becoming more popular, and this raises public health concerns. The bacteria in these products that have caused serious illness and death include E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes. This increase … [Read more...]
Vulto Raw Cheese Listeria Outbreak: FDA’s Form 483 Released
The FDA has released Form 483 in their investigation of the Vulto Creamery raw cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. That form is used when problems are found at a food facility. The creamery was inspected by government officials from 2/28/2017 - 3/22/2017. In all, Form 483 states that there were 15 observations where an issue was found during the FDA inspections. In the CDC's investigation of that multistate listeriosis outbreak, there were six people sickened by products made at that creamery. All of those six people were hospitalized. Two people from Connecticut and Vermont died, and one illness was reported in a newborn. The outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria was found in samples taken from three intact wheels of Ouleout cheese collected from Vulto Creamery. … [Read more...]
How do Babies Contract Listeriosis?
In some Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning outbreaks, we tell you that infants contracted this infection. In the current listeriosis outbreak linked to recalled Vulto Creamery raw milk cheese, one of the illnesses was reported in a newborn baby. Since babies do not consume raw cow's milk or eat raw cheeses or unpasteurized juices, the most common vectors for this pathogenic bacteria, how do they get sick? Short answer: their mother was sick. When a woman eats food contaminated with this pathogenic bacteria, she can pass the infection to the fetus. And if the fetus survives, since listeriosis can cause miscarriage and stillbirth, they can be born with this infection. In the Bidart Brothers' caramel apple Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, 35 illnesses occurred in pregnant women. … [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...]
Vulto Expands Recall of Raw Milk Cheeses for Listeria
Vulto Creamery of Walton, New York, has voluntarily expanded their recall of raw milk cheeses after their Ouleout cheese was linked to a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. Six people have been sickened in this outbreak so far, and two of those patients have died. The previous recall included Heinnenellie, Miranda, Willowemoc, and Ouleout raw milk cheeses. The new recall adds Andes, Blue Blais, Hamden, and Walton Umber to the list. You can see pictures of the recalled cheeses on the FDA website along with product descriptions. These raw milk cheeses were distributed nationwide, with most sold at retail locations in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and California. They were also sold in Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; and Washington, D.C. We don't know the dates of … [Read more...]
