Corleggy Cheese has recalled two cheeses in Ireland made withunpasteurized milk from a herd in which animals tested positive for tuberculosis (TB).

Mycobacterium bovis causes TB in cattle and consumption of contaminated dairy products can cause human TB.

Cavanbert raw cows’ milk cheese with best before dates up to Feb. 14, 2019, and Drumlin cheese with dates up to March 13, 2019, are affected. No other Corleggy Cheese products are implicated. Cavanbert and Drumlin Cheese with best before dates after those listed above are not subject to the recall.

In a statement sent to Food Safety News, Corleggy Cheese said the product recall is a precaution and goat or sheep’s milk cheeses are not affected.

“As a raw milk cheese producer we take the strictest possible precautions to ensure that all our product is safe at all times and of the highest quality. We now have a new cows’ milk supplier so future production is secure,” according to the company statement.

“Unfortunately on this occasion it is out of our hands and Mycobacterium bovis was detected in our cows’ milk supplier’s herd in his bi-annual herd test. We would like to reassure our customers that Mycobacterium bovis has not been detected in our cheeses but as a precaution we are recalling some batches of Cavanbert and Drumlin.

“We are working very closely with the Department of Agriculture, Marine & Fisheries and FSAI in analysing and to overcome the current issue.”

Corleggy Cheese collects all its milk from three neighboring farms, according to the company’s website. Main outlets are farmers markets in and around Dublin, some delicatessens around Ireland, shops, and high end restaurants.

Human infection by Mycobacterium bovis in Ireland accounts for less than 2.5 percent of culture confirmed TB cases, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

Three cases of Mycobacterium bovis-associated TB were reported in 2016, compared to four in 2015 and two in 2014. In 2016, 3.2 percent of bovine herds were positive for TB versus 3.3 percent in 2015 and 3.6 percent in 2014.

If Mycobacterium bovis is present in cheese made from unpasteurized milk, the concentration is likely to be low, provided the herd has been subjected to frequent tuberculin testing and no animals show clinical or post-mortem evidence of tuberculosis.

Humans can be infected by consuming unpasteurized milk and other raw milk products from milk produced by infected animals or by direct contact with infected animals and person-to-person contact. Properly controlled heat treatment of milk such as pasteurization inactivates Mycobacterium bovis.

Also in Ireland, Toons Bridge Dairy is recalling several batches of mozzarella, halloumi, ricotta and buratta soft cheeses due to the detection of Listeria monocytogenes.

Products subject to that recall are:

Product Name Pack Size Lot No. ‘Best-before’ Date
Toons Bridge Dairy Halloumi 20190201, 20190205, 20190208 01/05/2019, 05/05/2019 08/05/2019
Dairy Fior di Latte Mozzarella 20g, 145g, 150g, 1kg 010219, 040219, 050219, 060219 070219, 110219 15/02/2019, 18/02/2019, 19/02/2019, 20/02/2019, 21/02/2019, 25/02/2019
Dairy Ricotta 200g and 1kg 010219, 040219, 050219, 060219, 070219, 080219, 110219 15/02/2019, 18/02/2019, 19/02/2019, 20/02/2019, 21/02/2019, 22/02/2019, 25/02/2019
Dairy Burrata 165g, 200g 040219, 050219, 060219, 070219, 110219 18/02/2019, 19/02/2019, 20/02/2019, 21/02/2019, 25/02/2019

In England, Yorkshire Fine Cheese has recalled Barncliffe Brie because Listeria monocytogenes was found in one batch. The business took the precautionary step of recalling two other batches that may contain the pathogen. Barncliffe Brie 200 gram and 1 kilogram with batch codes 098, 099, 002 and best before March 4, 6 and 25, 2019 are affected.

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