Savencia Cheese USA has issued a voluntary recall for select soft-ripened cheeses due to potential Listeria concerns over the weekend.
What Are the Recalled Products?
Announced on November 2nd, the recall affects six types of Brie and Camembert cheese products with specific Universal Product Codess (UPC) and “Best By” dates of December 24th, 2024. Here are the products impacted by the recall:
- Emporium Selection Brie, 12/8oz Brie with UPCs 004149811132 and 041498111328
- Supreme Oval 7oz, 6/7oz with UPCs 007144850421 and 071448504214
- La Bonne Vie Brie, 6/8oz
- La Bonne Vie Camembert, 6/8oz
- Industrial Brie 12/8oz with UPC 077901005229
- Market Basket Brie 6/8oz with UPCs 004970566630 and 049705666302
These products were distributed in limited regions across the U.S., specifically in Indiana, Missouri, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Texas, Iowa, New Jersey, California, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, and Illinois. Retailers including ALDI and Market Basket have been notified and are actively removing affected products from shelves.
Consumers in possession of these recalled products are urged not to consume them. Instead, they should return them to the original place of purchase for a full refund. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is coordinating with Savencia Cheese USA to ensure the voluntary recall process is followed.
For questions or concerns about this recall, customers may reach Savencia Cheese USA’s Consumer Relations team at (800)-322-2743 or via email at sc.customer.service@savencia.com.
Reason for the Recall
The recall was prompted by possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes in the affected products produced at the Lactalis Export North America (LENA) facility operated by Savencia Cheese USA.
Consuming food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can lead to listeriosis, a severe infection that primarily impacts older adults, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant women and their newborns. While less common, people outside these high-risk groups can also be affected.
Listeriosis can cause a range of symptoms, including fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal issues. In severe cases, the infection can spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract, leading to serious and sometimes fatal complications in older adults and immunocompromised individuals. Pregnant women are at risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infections in their newborns.
Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Individuals in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months of consuming potentially contaminated food should seek medical attention and inform their healthcare provider about their dietary history.
As of now, no adverse health events linked to these products have been confirmed.
The potential contamination in the recalled products was discovered through routine testing of processing equipment at the LENA facility. Although testing of finished products has not shown contamination, Savencia Cheese USA has voluntarily recalled the affected products to ensure consumer safety.