Certain supermarkets, restaurants, wholesale distributors and the FDA are not saying.
Whole Foods Market announced that it recalled ricotta salata sold in 21 states and Washington, D.C. that came from its supplier Forever Cheese Inc. of Long Island City, NY. On September 10, 2012, Forever Cheese, Inc., recalled one lot of Frescolina brand ricotta salata cheese due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Some of the recalled Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand cheese was cut into wedges, packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with a Whole Foods Market scale label using PLU 293427. All “sell by” dates through October 2nd are affected.
Whole Foods Market stores in the following states were affected by the recall:
California (2 stores), Colorado (2 stores), Maryland (6 stores), New Mexico (2 stores), New York (2 stores), Ohio (2 stores), Pennsylvania (5 stores), Virginia (6 stores) and Washington, D.C. (3 stores)
As of September 11, 2012, a total of 14 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from 11 states and the District of Columbia. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: California (1), Colorado (1), District of Columbia (1), Maryland (3), Minnesota (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (1), New York (1), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), and Virginia (1). All 14 ill persons have been hospitalized. Three deaths have been reported. Listeriosis contributed to at least one of these deaths.
Minnesota and Nebraska each report a Listeria illness, yet Whole Foods did not recall product from those two states.
The FDA earlier announced that the cheese was sold to distributors for retailers and restaurants in California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington between June 20 and August 9, 2012. Products were sold to supermarkets, restaurants and wholesale distributors as of yet unnamed and in unnamed states.
So, how did the Minnesota and Nebraska person get the cheese? Certain supermarkets, restaurants, wholesale distributors and the FDA are not saying – yet.