Savencia Cheese Listeria Recall Update With Map - Newsweek

Another product has been added to the list of recalled soft cheeses after a company discovered that processing equipment used to manufacture the cheese may have been contaminated with listeria.

Pennsylvania-based Savencia Cheese USA expanded their recall on Tuesday to include Glenview Farms Spreadable Brie—the seventh cheese on the list.

A spokesperson for Savencia Cheese USA told Newsweek: "Through routine testing, it was identified that processing equipment at our Lena, Illinois site may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

"While finished product testing has not identified contaminated product, we have initiated a voluntary recall to retrieve the potentially affected product."

The spokesperson confirmed that the recall affected "a small number of select soft-ripened cheeses distributed to a few retail partners serving 12 states." Those states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness in connection with these cheeses, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as of Tuesday.

However, listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in some people, particularly young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. In pregnant women, it can cause stillbirths, miscarriages or infections in the newborn.

Most individuals infected with listeria—a condition called listeriosis—only have short-term symptoms of food poisoning, which may include high fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S., affecting 1,600 people and leading to 260 deaths each year.

Other cheeses involved in the recall include Aldi Emporium Selection Brie, La Bonne Vie Brie, La Bonne Vie Camembert, Industrial Brie, Market Basket Brie, and Supreme Oval, each with a best-by date of December 24, 2024.

The recently included product, Glenview Farms Spreadable Brie, has a best-by date of January 13, 2025.

The recall is being conducted in coordination with the FDA, but a spokesperson from the FDA told Newsweek: "This is a company-initiated recall. The FDA has reposted the company's announcement on our site as a public service."

Consumers who have bought recalled products are being advised not to consume them and to return them to their place of purchase for a refund. Those with questions about the recall can contact Savencia Cheese at (800)-322-2743 or email [email protected].

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