MIDDLEBURY, Ind. – An Indiana plant is at the center of a nationwide recall of popular cheese products due to possible listeria contamination.
According to the FDA, Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC of Middlebury, Indiana supplied cheese to Sargento Foods Inc. and Meijer that was potentially contaminated with Listeria monocyctogenes.
No one has gotten sick from the contamination thus far, and the recall announcement was made out of an abundance of caution after a sample of cheese from Deutsch Kase Haus tested positive for listeria.
The affected products are Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby, 6.84 oz., UPC 4610000228, with “Sell By” dates of “12APR17B” and “10MAY17B” and Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Nacho & Taco Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040041, with “Sell By” dates of “H14JUN17” and “H12JUL17.”
Sargento also recalled some products that were packaged on the same line as the affected cheese:
Sargento Sliced Colby-Jack Cheese, 12 oz., UPC 4610000109 with “Sell By” date of “11JUN17B”
Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese, 12 oz., UPC 4610000108 with “Sell By” dates of “12JUN17B”, “09JUL17B” and “10JUL17B”
Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Taco Cheese 8 oz., UPC 4610040002 with “Sell By” dates of “H14JUN17”, “F28JUN17” and “D28JUN17”
Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Colby-Jack Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040014 with “Sell By” date of “F05JUL17”
Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Cheddar Jack Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040076 with “Sell By” date of “F05JUL17”
No other Sargento products are affected.
Additionally, Meijer Brand Colby Cheese and Colby Jack Cheese sold in the deli from Nov. 10, 2016 to Feb. 9, 2017 are also being recalled.
The recalled product will be in plastic deli packaging with printed labels that have the UPCs 215927xxxxxx or 215938xxxxxx. The last 6 digits will vary, and are determined by weight since the product was purchased at the deli counter.
Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may experience short-term symptoms like high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. A Listeria monocytogenes infection could lead to miscarriages and stillbirths for pregnant women.