Discard These Recalled Cheeses, FDA Says

Fans of soft cheeses should not read this: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled cheeses from more than 20 brands distributed throughout the United States and Mexico due to worries that the cheeses could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Here are all the details regarding the issue.

Which cheeses are subject to a recall?

After one cheese sample from the company's processing facility tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, Old Europe Cheese, Inc. of Benton Harbor, Mich., the producer of all the in question cheeses, voluntarily recalled all of its brie and camembert cheese goods. All varieties, sizes, and amounts of brie and camembert cheeses produced by Old Europe Cheese, Inc. and having best-by dates between September 28, 2022, and December 14, 2022, are included in the recall. The tough aspect is that there were more than 20 different brands under which the cheeses were sold, so you'll need to compare any brie or camembert in your refrigerator with a best-by date in that period to this comprehensive list of specific items. Several of the cheese brands recalled include -

• Reny Picot
• Block & Barrel
• Charmant
• Culinary Tour
• Glenview Farms
• Good & Gather
• Joan of Arc
• La Bonne Vie
• Lidl Preferred Selection
• Life in Provence
• Market 32
• Matrie’d
• Primo Taglio
• Red Apple Cheese
• St. Randeaux
• Taste of Inspiration
• St. Rocco

Furthermore, the recalled cheeses were offered for sale at merchants nationwide, including -

• Albertsons
• Safeway
• Meijer
• Stop & Shop
• Sprouts
• Trader Joe’s
• Whole Foods
• Giant Foods
• Fresh Thyme
• Lidl
• Heinen’s
• Shaw’s
• Price Chopper
• Market Basket
• Raley’s
• Save Mart

Hence, the FDA advises either not eating the cheese or contacting your store about the brand or maker if you purchased brie or camembert cheeses without a label mentioning a name (for example, if it was wrapped in plastic in your neighborhood supermarket and had a label with the price and weight).

How to proceed if you bought one of the recalled cheeses

The FDA advises customers not to eat any of the brie and/or camembert items included in the recall and to throw them away instead. Moreover, to lessen the chance of cross-contamination, the EPA (the United States Environmental Protection Agency) also suggests washing and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come into contact with the recalled cheeses. The reason is that Listeria can quickly spread to other foods and surfaces in addition to surviving in refrigerators. Lastly, call Old Europe Cheese at 269-925-5003 ext. 335 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, if you have any queries or concerns concerning the recall.