Forever Cheese Inc. is recalling all Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand, Forever Cheese lot # T9425 and/or production code 441202, from one specific production date due to possible Listeria Monocytogenes contamination, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, 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 and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The cheese was sold to distributors for retailers and restaurants in CA, CO, D.C., FL, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, WA between June 20 and August 9, 2012. Products were sold to supermarkets, restaurants and wholesale distributors.

The cheese in question is Ricotta Salata brand Frescolina from one production date coded 441202 on the original wheel. There have been 14 reported illnesses in 11 states which may be related to this.

The potential for contamination was noted after illness was reported in connection with eating cheese. Each and every distributor and retailer are being contacted in an effort to recall any and all remaining product in the marketplace.

For a bit more on Listeria outbreaks (including some of the more deadly) and cheese, see www.outbreakdatabase.com:

El Ranchero Del Sur Los Corrales Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese and Banana Leaf 2012  On March 2, 2012, a 38-week pregnant woman, in New Jersey, was diagnosed with Listeria monocytogenes. Subsequent investigation and product analysis implicated, and then confirmed, the presence of L. monocytogenes in a sample of Los Corrales Queso Fre…Read More »

Green Cedar Dairy – Harb, Inc. Natural Ackawi and Chives Cheese 2011  On December 27, the Michigan Department of Agriculture announced the recall of All Natural Ackawi and Chive Cheeses produced by the Green Cedar Dairy – Harb, Inc., of Dearborn, Michigan. The recalled product is sold in approximately 12-14 oz. squares…Read More »

Clic Cheese or Butter 2011  One person became ill due to Listeria monocytogenes after eating a Clic brand cheese, or butter, in Canada. A recall for Clic dairy products was issued on November 11. However, during a review of the company’s voluntary recall it was discovered th…Read More »

Queseria Bendita Fresh Cheese 2010  Two Oregon mothers, their prematurely born infants, and a pregnant woman residing in Washington state, were hospitalized after eating cheeses produced by Queseria Bendita, a Yakima, Washington, business. At least one of the illnesses was laboratory …Read More »

Washington State Private Home Cheese 2009  A confirmed outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes occurred among people who had eaten cheese in a private home. There was no description as to whether the cheese had been made with pasteurized or unpasteurized milk.…Read More »

Multistate Mexican Style Cheese 2009  A confirmed, multistate, outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes was associated with eating Mexican style cheese. The cheese was consumed in private homes. The states involved in this outbreak were not named. It was not stated whether the cheese had be…Read More »

Prolactal Cheese 2009  Austria’s health ministry said contaminated cheese produced by Prolactal killed seven people in 2009. The ministry said the deaths – five in Austria and two in Germany – were caused by listeria, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fata…Read More »

Multistate Torres Hillsdale Private Home Mexican Style, Pasteurized, Asadero Cheese 2008  A multistate outbreak of listeriosis occurred among pregnant, Hispanic women. Eight cases in five states were identified. Seven of the cases were pregnant, Hispanic females aged 21 to 43 years, and one was a 3-year-old Hispanic girl. Seven (100%) c…Read More »

Quebec Pasteurized Cheese 2008  A major Listeria monocytogenes outbreak occurred in the province of Quebec, Canada, in 2008, involving a strain of L. monocytogenes (LM P93)characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and associated with the consumption of pasteurized mi…Read More »

Oregon Grocery Store or Private Home Pasteurized Cheese 2006  A confirmed outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes was linked to eating pasteurized cheese in a grocery store or in a private home in Oregon.…Read More »

North Carolina Queso Fresco 2000  Health care workers in Winston-Salem noted a cluster of listeriosis cases during early November; three cases in two weeks. The resulting investigation found a total of twelve cases. All were Hispanic. Ten of the cases were pregnant, one was five m…Read More »

North Carolina Homemade Mexican Cheese 2000  Twelve persons (eleven women; one immunocompromised man), all of Hispanic origen, developed infections caused by Listeria monocytogenes. Ten women were pregnant; these infections resulted in five stillbirths, three premature deliveries, and two infec…Read More »

Mexican-Style Cheese Queso Fresco 2000  An outbreak of Listeriosis occurred Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was attributed to the consumption of a fresh, Mexican-style cheese that was sold door-to-door. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from 10 case-patients, from cheese bought from …Read More »

Jalisco Products, Inc., Queso Fresco and Cotija Cheeses 1985  Between January 1 and August 15, 1985, 142 cases of listeriosis were identified in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California. Ninety three cases (65.5%) occurred in pregnant women or their offspring and 49 (34.5%) in nonpregnant adults. There wer…Read More »