Listeria Outbreak Linked to Long Island's Forever Cheese

James Williams Friday, September 21, 2012

It seems that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other public health agencies has linked the Long Island company Forever Cheese to 14 cases of listeriosis that were sold in Whole Foods stores. Because of this outbreak, Forever Cheese has issued a recall of their Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand cheese—a salty, white cheese made from pasteurized sheep’s milk that has been on the market since June 20th, 2012.

Each of the 14 people who contracted the Listeria infection were hospitalized with three of those dying through complications with the diseasae. On September 13th, Whole Foods announced that they were also voluntarily removing the Ricotta Salata from their shelves because of the contamination.

Food safety advocate and attorney Bill Marler said, “We focus so much attention on preventing foodborne illness by pasteurizing milk and cheeses. This is a good reminder that just post-pasteurization contamination is as much a risk to consumers as contamination prior to pasteurization."

Listeria infection is a serious disease that causes a sudden onset of fever, chills, sever headaches, vomiting and other flu like symptoms. In rarer, more severe cases of the infection there can be the onset of septic shock, menegitis, and encephalitis. Since 2000 there have been 15 outbreaks of Listeria that have been the result of contaminated cheeses. These outbreaks have resulted in 132 Listeria cases, 59 hospitalizations and 13 deaths.

One of the good things to come out of this is that there is a greater awareness of the need to be more careful in the processing of dairy products - especially cheeses. A careful watch of the products being used, and where they are from, should always be on step in the preventative measures.

jamesw@longislandyellowpages.com

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