As the holiday season rolls around, so does the season of making party appetizers – with cheese being the center stage. From sliced cheese piled onto crackers or a pastry-covered- brie, molten and gooey from the oven, cheese is the main character that gets the holiday meal and season going. But before you start purchasing and prepping, make sure you haven’t purchased a potentially contaminated cheese.
At the beginning of the month, Savencia Cheese USA announced two voluntary recalls of their hard or fermented cheeses. At their factory, some of their products are potentially contaminated with dangerous listeria monocytogenes — organisms that can cause a serious and potentially deadly illness among the elderly, young children, and those who are pregnant.
While you may not have heard of this company, this cheese manufacturer produces products for labels like Aldi Emporium, Supreme, La Bonne Vie, Market Basket, and Glenview Farms.
Cheeses like brie and Camembert were the two main cheeses potentially contaminated by this recall. Looking at the chart, you can see if the cheese you purchased was affected by listeria by looking at the UPC codes and the expiration date.
While there have not been reports of foodborne illness, people are cautioned to check their cheese purchases and throw out any potentially contaminated cheeses. You can check for further updates on the FDA’s website.