Whole Foods Recalls Maytag Blue Cheese Over Possible Listeria Contamination

It’s always a sad day when you have to chuck a chunk of delicious, yet stinky, cheese. But that’s what some Whole Foods customers are being advised to do, unless they want to be sickened by a possible listeria contamination. 

Whole Foods announced Tuesday that it would voluntarily recall Maytag Raw Milk Blue Cheese sold nationally in its cheese cases after tests discovered the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, which issued a notice on the recall Monday, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the cheese.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Whole Foods Market is recalling the products from all of its stores nationwide,” the company said, noting that customers should discard the cheese or bring it with their receipt to Whole Foods for a refund.

The affected cheese was sold cut and packaged in clear plastic warps with labels reading “Maytag Blue Raw Milk,” “Maytag Blue” or “Maytag Iowa Blue Cheese” and with PLU numbers beginning with 293308 and “sell-by” dates of 1/20/2016 and 3/21/16.

The potential for contamination was discovered after testing by the state of Iowa revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in two lots of product.

Maytag Dairy Farms has voluntarily suspended production and distribution while the company collaborates with FDA and the state of Iowa to determine the cause of the problem.

Iowa-based Maytag Dairy Farms announced a voluntary recall of some of its Blue Cheese products last week over a listeria contamination.

Those recalled products were sold through distributors, wholesalers, unspecified retail stores, restaurants, and direct mail orders nationwide between November 24, 2015 and February 11, 2016. Affected products are packaged as follows:

Listeriosis usually begins with diarrhea or other gastrointestinal distress, and other symptoms include fever and muscle aches. If healthy people show symptoms at all, it resembles the flu. Infection can be especially serious in very young children, elderly people, pregnant women, or anyone who is otherwise in frail health. It can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women, and meningitis in adults in poor health.

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist