Raw Goat Milk Cheese Recalled for Possible E. coli Contamination

The Southwestern Wisconsin Dairy Goat Products Cooperative of Mt. Sterling, WI, is recalling Raw Milk Mild Cheddar Cheese Lot Code 103-114 because it may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O111:H8 bacteria.  The recall was initiated after a case of two five-pound loaves in the original packaging was collected on July 8 from an offsite warehouse. The product sample tested positive for Shiga toxin and was contaminated with E. coli O111:H8.  This product was distributed in the Midwest and Southwest regions of the U.S. and sent through distributorship in Wisconsin and Georgia. From these two states, this product was then sent to retail stores in the Midwest and Southwest.  This product was packed as an 8-oz. cryovac retail-size piece with the code 103-114 on a sticker attached to the side of the cheese. This product is all white in appearance and has a front and back separate label. The back label is a black-and-white nutrition and ingredient label and the front label is a yellow-and-blue colored label with the Mt. Sterling Coop Creamery brand name.  Consumers who may have purchased this product with the code date listed are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-608-734-3151.  No illnesses have been reported to date. E. coli O111:H8 is one of the six STEC strains that have been deemed to be of serious health concern as it can cause diarrheal illness, often with bloody stools, and may lead to more severe complications such as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals and can lead to severe kidney damage and even death.