Due to a possible listeria risk, Old Europe Cheese has recalled Brie and Camembert cheese

A multistate outbreak of the deadly bacteria has been connected to a sample discovered in a facility.

Old Europe Cheese of Benton Harbor, Michigan, voluntarily recalled its Brie and Camembert cheeses on September 30, 2020, due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This organism can cause listeriosis, a serious and occasionally fatal infection in young children, the elderly, and other people with weakened immune systems.

Five persons have been hospitalized as a result of a listeria outbreak; those affected resided in California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Texas. The FDA is presently looking into the outbreak. According to the FDA announcement, laboratory results and interviews (four persons reported eating Brie or Camembert cheese) suggest the cheeses may be the cause of the incident.

Health officials evaluated 120 samples of the company’s products and facilities during a visit of the company’s Michigan plant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an outbreak strain of listeria was discovered in a sample from the facilities even though none of the cheeses demonstrated infection (CDC).

Six listeriosis cases from 2017 to 2022 have been connected to the strain from that sample. Old Europe cheeses had not previously been associated with those cases, but the business chose to conduct the voluntary recall anyhow to protect their customers.

Numerous Foods May Contain Listeria

According to the CDC, listeria is a dangerous bacteria that can “hide” in vegetables and dairy items like soft cheeses and ice cream. Listeria is thought to infect around 1,600 people annually, killing about 260 of them.

Listeria infections are 10 times more likely to affect pregnant women than other people, which is concerning because listeria infections can result in stillbirths and miscarriages in pregnant women.

All Old Europe Cheese Brie and Camembert items with “best by” dates ranging from September 28, 2022, to December 14, 2022, are subject to the voluntary recall, according to the FDA announcement. Cheese is sold at many retailers, including Whole Foods, Safeway, Albertsons, and Trader Joe’s.

Retailers that carried the goods included Albertsons, Safeway, Meijer, Harding’s, Shaw’s, Price Chopper, Market Basket, Raley’s, Save Mart, Giant Foods, Stop & Shop, Fresh Thyme, Lidl, Sprouts, Athenian Foods, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s. The products were distributed from August 1, 2022, through September 28, 2022. There might be additional stores that have received the recalled product in addition to those markets.

A number of brand names, including La Bonne Vie, Reny Picot, Saint Randeaux, Red Apple Cheese, Metropolitan, and Joan of Arc, may have been used by retailers to repackage bulk Old Europe Cheese products into smaller containers before selling them to customers. Visit the FDA website for a complete list of recalled products.

What to Do if You Develop Severe Listeria Symptoms After Consuming Recalled Cheese

Most listeria-infected individuals experience moderate food poisoning symptoms, such as diarrhea and fever, and typically recover on their own.

Severe sickness can result when the bacteria enter other parts of the body from the gut. Pregnant women, new mothers, persons 65 years of age and older, as well as those with compromised immune systems, are more likely to have severe sickness.

In addition to fever and muscle aches, symptoms of severe listeria infection can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, and convulsion-like episodes. These symptoms typically appear two weeks after eating food contaminated with the bacteria, but they can also appear as soon as the same day or up to ten weeks later.

Nearly all serious illnesses end in hospitalization and occasionally death.

The only typical pregnancy symptoms for women are fever, tiredness, and muscular aches. However, listeriosis can result in miscarriage or early birth, as well as serious illness or infant mortality.

If you consume the recalled cheese and get any serious listeriosis symptoms, contact your doctor right once.

What to Do if You Have Bought One of the Recalled Cheeses

Customers who have purchased any of the aforementioned Brie and Camembert items are advised not to eat them and to throw them away. The FDA advises additional caution in washing and disinfecting any surfaces and containers that may have been in contact with the questioned cheeses in order to lessen the risk of cross-contamination because listeria may live in chilled temperatures and can transfer easily to other foods and surfaces.

Callers with inquiries can reach Old Europe Cheese at 269-925-5003, extension 335; the line is available from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.