According to a Christmas Eve FDA’s/Rolf’s Press Release:

• Rolf’s Patisserie, a gourmet European style bakery located in Lincolnwood, Ill., is recalling all desserts made after Nov. 1, 2010. The products include tiramisu, cakes, cobblers, decorated cookies, tarts, pastries, and pies.

• The desserts have been connected to several outbreaks of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) food poisoning.

• Because Rolf’s Patisserie sells the desserts in both retail and wholesale markets, as well as online and to institutions, the products may not carry a Rolf’s Patisserie label.

• A food item contaminated with S. aureus, the bacterium responsible for producing toxins in foods, can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. The illness usually lasts for one to two days, although severe cases may last as long as three days. However, certain individuals, such as the elderly or very young, may require medical treatment for dehydration.

• Consumers should not eat the desserts and should dispose of them in a sealed container so that people and animals (including wild animals) cannot get access to and eat them.

The desserts are available through retail, wholesale and internet sales, and may not be labeled as coming from Rolf’s Patisserie. Resellers include grocery stores. Rolf’s Patisseries also distributes the products through a catering service and to institutions such as nursing homes.

A total of 100 cases of illness have been reported from four separate events in November and December. Three of the events occurred in Illinois and resulted in 30 illnesses. Seventy illnesses have been reported from a single event in Wisconsin.