More than two dozen brand names of brie and camembert products have been recalled due to a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination, which has left several consumers hospitalized, per an issue from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
On September 30, Old Europe Cheese, Inc., a cheese manufacturer based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, voluntarily recalled its brie and camembert cheeses. Per a notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the products were distributed from Aug. 01, 2022 through Sept. 28, 2022 and available at supermarkets and retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, Safeway, Target, Giant Foods, Lidl and Sprouts. Additional stores that carried the cheeses include Albertsons, Meijer, Harding's, Shaw's, Price Chopper, Market Basket, Raley's, Save Mart, Stop & Shop, Fresh Thyme and Athenian Foods.
The recalled cheeses contained best-by dates from Sept. 28, 2022 to Dec. 14, 2022 and were sold under the following brand names:
- Black Bear
- Block & Barrel
- Charmant
- Cobblestone
- Culinary Tour
- Fredericks
- Fresh Thyme
- Glenview Farms
- Good & Gather
- Heinen's
- Joan of Arc
- La Bonne Vie
- Lidl
- Life in Provence
- Market 32
- Matrie'd
- Metropolitan
- Prestige
- Primo Taglio
- Red Apple Cheese
- Reny Picot
- St. Randeaux
- St. Rocco
- Taste of Inspiration
- Trader Joe's
According to the FDA, Old Europe Cheese issued the recall to avoid further risks to their customers after a full environmental audit revealed a sample of cheese that tested positive for Listeria. At this time, the CDC has reported six total illnesses and five hospitalizations.
A listeria infection "can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems," the FDA outlined. Short-term symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea and abdominal pain, while severe symptoms — specifically among people who are pregnant — include miscarriages and stillbirths.
Individuals who have purchased the recalled brie and camembert products are advised to discard the product(s) immediately and thoroughly sanitize and disinfect any surfaces or containers that may have come in contact with the product(s). Both the FDA and the CDC reminded consumers that Listeria can also survive in refrigerated temperatures and spread easily to other foods and surfaces.
For more information on the recalled products and their individual UPC codes, click here.
