Bleating Heart Cheese of Tomales, West Marin County, CA, announced on Dec. 17 that it is conducting a voluntary recall of a few of its sheep milk and cow’s milk cheese produced in late May, late June and early July. The decision was based on sampling by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that found the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in at least one sample. On Dec. 30, the company expanded its recall to cover all of its sheep milk, goat milk, water buffalo milk and cow’s milk cheese produced between Feb. 14, 2014, (coded as 14–0214) and Sept. 19, 2014, (coded as 14-0919) due to “an abundance of caution.” The following products are subject to the recall:

  1. “Buff Ewe Blue” and “Buff Blue” – natural rind, blue-style cheese, aged 3-4 months
  2. “Double Down Blue” – natural rind, blue-style cheese, aged 3 – 4 months with a double heart imprint on the rind
  3. “Ewelicious Blue” – natural rind, blue-style cheese, aged 2-3 months
  4. “Fat Bottom Girl” – natural rind, aged 2-3 months
  5. “Funky Beats” – washed rind, aged 2-3 months (Note: This cheese has been sold out for some time and is not likely to be in the marketplace.)
  6. “Goldette Tommette” – natural rind, aged 2-3 months
  7. “Mixtress” – natural rind, aged 2-3 months
  8. “Moolicious Blue” – natural rind blue-style cheese, aged 3-4 months
  9. “Shepherdista” – natural rind, aged 2-3 months

The cheeses listed were sold to distributors servicing the California, as well as Pennsylvania, areas, who, in turn, sold to retail food shops, restaurants and stores. Anyone who has distributed the cheese identified above needs to immediately notify their customers of the voluntary recall and encourage them to destroy any identified cheese based on instructions from Bleating Heart Cheese. Any of the above cheese still in a distributor’s inventory needs to be isolated/quarantined and prepared for return to Bleating Heart Cheese, which will provide a full refund upon receipt of the cheese and verification of its identity. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant women and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths and fetal infection among pregnant women. The recall is being conducted with the knowledge of FDA.