A creamery in Northwest Washington is recalling 124 pounds of cheese because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Golden Glen Creamery of Bow, WA Tuesday issued a voluntary recall of its Red Pepper with Onion & Garlic Cheddar produced on August 30, 2011 because a sample of the product taken by the Washington State Department of Agriculture tested positive for Listeria. In its recall notice, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration noted that other samples from the same batch have tested negative at an independent, state-approved laboratory to which the Creamery has submitted samples. The cheese subject to this recall was sold from March 1 through June 7 of 2012 at farmers markets in Skagit, Snohomish and King counties in Washington State, and at independent retailers in Washington State and Oregon. It was distributed in pre-cut, random weight packages ranging from 1/3 pound to 1/2 pound pieces. The labels read, in part: “Medium Cheddar – Red Pepper with Onion & Garlic,” “GOLDEN GLEN CREAMERY,” and “Natural handcrafted cheese produced by the Jensen Ladies.” The packages were marked with three-digit branch code 887. The creamery is no longer distributing the batch in question. No illnesses have been associated with consumption of the recalled cheese. Consumers who purchased the affected product should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Those with questions are urged to call Gold Glen Creamery at 360-766-6455 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM PST, Monday through Friday, or by email at info@goldenglencreamery.com. Symptoms of Listeria infection appear anywhere from three to 70 days after exposure and include fever, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system it can cause headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. Young children, pregnant woman, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of severe illness. Infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, infection of the infant or even stillbirth. If you think you may have contracted a Listeria infection, contact your healthcare provider.