FDA just cant say illustration gagMore than 130 additional cheeses and products containing cheeses are under recall because of Listeria monocytogenes found in cheese produced by Deutsch Kase Haus LLC.

A variety of cheese brands are involved, including Sargento, Sara Lee, Saputo, Dutch Valley and Guggisberg, as well as a variety of store-branded products sold by Meijer, Albertsons, H-E-B and other retailers.

The recalls, which began Feb. 10, stem from a random test conducted by Tennessee inspectors on samples of Amish Classics cheese collected from a retailer and produced by Deutsch Kase Haus LLC of Middleburg, IN. The cheese tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes and Tennessee officials posted a consumer alert.

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating the situation along with officials in several states. However, a clause in the federal code prevents FDA from releasing information about what companies bought cheese from Deutsch Kase Haus because such details are considered “confidential corporate information.”

No illnesses have been confirmed in connection with the recalled products, but it can take up to 70 days for Listeria infection symptoms to develop. Consequently public health officials are urging anyone who has eaten any of the recalled cheese products to monitor themselves for the coming weeks.

Symptoms can include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeriosis can be very serious in children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems. It can result in stillbirths and deaths in severe cases.

For details on the most recent and expanded recalls related to the Deutsch Kase Haus problems with Listeria, please continue reading and use the links at the company names to view complete lists of the more than 130 newly recalled products.

To view photos of all of the recalled Sargento cheese products, click on the image.
To view photos of all of the recalled Sargento cheese products, click on the image.

Sargento
Sargento Foods Inc. of Plymouth, WI, expanded its Feb. 11 recall to include seven more products and announced it has stopped using Deutsch Kase Haus LLC as a cheese supplier.

“Out of concern for the health and well-being of Sargento consumers, the company has terminated its relationship with Deutsch Kase Haus, which supplied Sargento with the affected Longhorn Colby cheese,” according to a statement on Sargento’s website.

“Out of an abundance of caution, in addition to the products recalled on Feb. 10, with the new information we received from our supplier, we are also voluntarily recalling products which were packaged on the same lines.”

To view photos of all products recalled by Dutch Valley, please click on the image.

Dutch Valley
Dutch Valley Food Distributors, Schlabach branch, officials report Deutsch Kase Haus notified them on Feb. 15 — six days after the Tennessee officials confirmed Listeria in the Indiana company’s cheese — that various cheese products sent to Dutch Valley could be contaminated.

Dutch Valley is voluntarily recalling 22 products that were distributed to 21 states.

“Retailers are advised to remove (these) products from store shelves based on the listed codes,” according to the Dutch Valley recall notice.

“Consumers who have purchased these products are asked to destroy them or to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions regarding the product listed may call Dutch Valley Foods at 800-733 4191.”

To read the Biery Cheese Co. recall notice and see photos of all of the company’s recalled products, please click on the image.

Biery Cheese Co.
Also not notified until Feb. 15 by Deutsch Kase Haus of the Listeria problem, Biery Cheese Co. is recalling longhorn colby cheese packaged under three different brands.

Brands involved in the Biery Cheese Co. recall are Delallo, Dietz & Watson and Private Selections.

“The products were distributed between Nov. 11, 2016, and Jan. 4,” according to the Biery recall notice. “These products were packaged at Biery Cheese Company in Louisville, OH, and distributed to distribution centers located in the states of: Georgia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.”

Customers who have purchased any of the recalled cheese products are urged not to consume it and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Biery Cheese Co at 1-800-243-3731

To view photos of all of the products recalled by MDS Foods Inc., please click on the image.

MDS Foods
MDS Foods Inc. has added more than 100 products to its voluntary recall of cheese products produced by Deutsch Kase Haus LLC, according to its expanded recall notice.

“MDS Foods Inc. has also recalled potentially affected products that were packaged on the same production lines in our Tullahoma, TN, facility as the affected product,” the expanded recall notice states.

Customers who have purchased any of the recalled cheese products are urged not to consume them and to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact MDS Foods at 330-879-9780.

Albertsons/Randalls
Dietz & Watson brand cheese used on roast beef sandwiches sold by Albertsons and Randalls stores in Texas spurred the retailers to issue a recall Sunday.

“The sandwich is made with Colby Jack cheese, which was recalled by MDS Foods. The sandwich is packaged in a clear clam shell container and is sold from the deli department. The sandwich’s UPC code is 2-15469 00000 and has a Sell Thru Date of Feb. 19,” according to the recall notice on the Albertsons website.

“Customers are asked to discard the product or return it to their local store for a full refund. Customers who have questions about the recall can contact Albertsons and Randalls anytime at 877-723-3929.”

Editor’s note: For additional information on the related recalls, please see:

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