Keswick Creamery Recalls Several Cheese Products Due to Potential Listeria Contamination
Newburg, Pennsylvania company Keswick Creamery of Carrock Farm, LLC has issued a recall on several cheese products due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recall was issued after the FDA found traces of Listeria bacteria during routine sample testing of finished products.
The following Keswick Creamery cheese products have been recalled:
- Calverley Cheese in 4 oz to 12 oz packages, price and weight labeled in red, black, or purple ink
- Vulkwin’s Folly Cheese in 4 oz to 12 oz packages, price and weight labeled in red, black, or purple ink
- Havarti Cheese in 4 oz to 12 oz packages, price and weight labeled in red, black, or purple ink
- Vermeer Cheese in 4 oz to 12 oz packages, price and weight labeled in red, black, or purple ink
- Wallaby Cheese in 4 oz to 12 oz packages, price and weight labeled in red, black, or purple ink
- Cider Washed Tomme Cheese in 4 oz to 12 oz packages, price and weight labeled in red, black, or purple ink
- Feta cheese in 4 oz to 12 oz packages, price and weight labeled in red, black, or purple ink
- Whole Milk Ricotta, 8 oz and 16 oz clear deli container, expiration dates 7/18/22, 7/25/22, 8/1/22, 8/8/22, 8/18/22
- Bovre Cheese (plain, oregano and garlic, herbes de Provence, cranberry and honey), 8oz clear deli container, expiration dates 7/25/22, 8/1/22, 8/8/22, 8/22/22
- Quark Cheese (plain and dill and onion), 8 oz and 16 oz clear deli container, expiration dates 7/7/22, 8/4/22, 8/25/22
After discovering the contamination, Keswick Creamery suspended distribution and production of all products until the source of the contamination is identified. Consumers who have purchased one of the recalled products are urged to dispose of it immediately, and encouraged to contact Keswick Creamery regarding their purchase by emailing [email protected] or by calling 1-800-946-1631 Monday thru Friday 10 am to 2 pm EST for a full refund. As of this date, no illnesses have been reported due to consuming the recalled cheese products.
According to the CDC, Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that causes listeriosis, an infection that is most commonly found in pregnant women and their newborns, those 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women are often urged to not consume soft cheese products, including those recalled by Keswick Creamery, due to their susceptibility to Listeria bacteria. Pregnant women are highly susceptible to listeriosis and are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection than others, though Hispanic pregnant women are 24 times more likely than others to get a Listeria infection. As a result of a Listeria infection, pregnant women can pass the infection to their unborn baby, which can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, preterm labor, as well as serious illness and potential death in infants.
Listeria can cause both intestinal illness and invasive illness, which is when the infection spreads beyond the intestines. Symptoms of intestinal illness caused by Listeria generally begin 24 hours after ingesting food with Listeria bacteria and last 1-3 days, with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting. In people who are not pregnant, invasive listeriosis infection symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, loss of balance, confusion, seizures, and flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and fatigue. In pregnant people, symptoms are usually mild and include fever and flu-like symptoms, though some pregnant people report no symptoms.
