In a significant development in food safety enforcement, Johannes Vulto, 64, and his company, Vulto Creamery LLC, have been sentenced in federal court in Syracuse for their roles in a 2016-2017 listeriosis outbreak linked to their raw milk cheese products, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice.
Vulto, who founded and owned the now-defunct Vulto Creamery, pleaded “guilty to one misdemeanor count of causing the introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce.” The court sentenced him to three years of probation, a $100,000 fine, and 240 hours of community service. Vulto Creamery LLC, which has ceased operations, received one year of probation.
The charges stem from the distribution of cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes between December 2014 and March 2017. Court documents reveal that environmental swabs taken at the Vulto Creamery facility in Walton, New York, repeatedly tested positive for Listeria species during this period. While not all Listeria species are harmful, L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a severe and potentially life-threatening infection that causes fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, and muscle aches and is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Unlike other strains of bacteria, listeria multiplies in foods stored in the refrigerator. Pasteurization and thorough cooking are the most effective methods of killing the bacteria and preventing infection.
The outbreak’s severity became apparent in March 2017 when the FDA linked Vulto Creamery’s cheese to multiple cases of listeriosis. This led to the closure of the facility and a full product recall. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak resulted in eight hospitalizations and two deaths.
This case was investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and the Northern District of New York.
Commenting on this story, one national food safety attorney said, “This sentence should send a clear message to food manufacturers about the legal and ethical responsibilities they bear in ensuring the safety of their products. Food poisoning lawsuits. like the ones my office files, are yet another way to prevent the same harm from happening again and again in the future.”
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining food safety standards, particularly in the production of raw milk products, which, without pasteurization, are inherently more susceptible to bacterial contamination.
