A cheese company is taking one of its products off the shelves because of possible contamination from a bacteria that could pose a dangerous health threat to young children, the elderly and pregnant women.
Savencia Cheese USA last week announced the voluntary recall of some soft-ripened cheeses sold at Aldi and other outlets due to concern the products could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause serious and, in some cases, fatal infections in young children and vulnerable people, such as the elderly.
In a company announcement posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website, Savencia reported that the contamination was linked to Lena, one of its manufacturing facilities and identified through routine testing.
According to the company’s report, concerns were that processing equipment at the facility could have been contaminated with listeria.
The company also said that there have been no confirmed cases of people getting sick from eating the cheeses at this time and no evidence of contaminated products were found but initiated the recall in coordination with the FDA.
Items recalled: Aldi Emporium Selection Brie, La Bonne Vie Brie, La Bonne Vie Camembert, 12- and 8-ounce Industrial Brie, Market Basket Brie and Supreme Oval.
What is Listeria monocytogenes?
This is a species of disease-causing bacteria that can be found in moist and wet environments such as water, soil, decaying vegetation and animals, according to the FDA website.
The bacteria can thrive and grow in refrigeration and other food preservation measures, and environments can be contaminated by raw materials, water, soil, and incoming air.
The bacteria can be transmitted through the consumption of foods processed, prepared, packed, transported or stored in environments contaminated with L. monocytogenes.
Listeria can also be spread by pets in a home environment eating contaminated foods.
Potential risks
Listeria monocytogenes bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and in those with weakened immune systems.
It can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
In very young children, the elderly, and the immune-compromised, listeriosis can be fatal.
Healthy individuals may only experience short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, according to the FDA.
Symptoms
The range of symptoms of consuming foods contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes range from mild to severe.
Mild symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and muscle aches and can emerge within a few hours or days of eating contaminated food.
Symptoms from more severe cases of listeriosis can take days and sometimes months to develop and can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
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