Miami based Global Garlic, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of its 12 ounce Cuajada Fresca and Cuajada Olanchana, UPC code 896211002380 with a Best Used by date between July 1st and December 31st of this year, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was investigating instances of human illness linked to consumption of those products. According to the release, the product may be contaminated with Listeria Monocytogenes, a dangerous bacterium that can cause serious illness and even death. The elderly, very young, and pregnant women are among the most susceptible groups, with Listeria being known to cause miscarriages and stillbirths in women who are pregnant. This danger has led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to warn women who are pregnant not to consume certain items, among which are unpasteurized dairy products, due to the potential that these products can contain the Listeria bacteria. Global Garlic’s De Mi Pais Cuajada Fresca and Cuajada Olanchana (both fresh curd products) are made with pasturized milk.
In addition to the illnesses being investigated by the FDA, testing was performed at the manufacturing site that revealed the bacteria’s presence. Global Garlic has been compelled to cease production of this product line while a full investigation into the occurrence of Listeria in its products is completed. No source has yet been named by investigators.
The 12 ounce containers of both Cuajada Fresca and Cuajada Olanchana were disseminated in at least four Southern states, including Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee. So far, however, the FDA has yet to release the figures as to how many victims have been identified in which states.
Food Safety Lawyer Ron Simon encourages anyone who believes they have been sickened by consumption of De Mi Pais fresh curd products, Cuajada Fresca and Cuajada Olanchana, to immediately seek medical attention and then contact a Listeria lawyer to discuss, and protect, potential legal rights.
