Whole Foods is ordering a massive recall of one type of its cheese from its stores nationwide after Food and Drug Administration officials found Listeria in a sample test.
FDA officials discovered that there was Listeria Monocytogenes in an uncut wheel of one particular cheese: Papillion Organic Roquefort. As a result, the stores are ordered to get rid of them as soon as possible, regardless of the sale-by date, according to an ABC Radio report.
A statement was posted on Whole Foods’ website that all of this type of cheese would be recalled.
No illnesses have been reported yet, but that doesn’t mean the company is in the clear. It can take up to 60 days for Listeria to incubate after infecting someone, making it tough to track the disease.
Listeria infections are quite deadly, with a 20 percent mortality rate. They mostly affect the very young, very old, and people with compromised immune systems. They can also make pregnant women very sick and can result in a miscarriage.
Listeria is usually accompanied by high fever, headaches and stiffness, and abdominal pain and diarrhea. It is usually transferred into the body by eating tainted food, so people should take proper precautions both in preparing and storing food in order to avoid getting an infection.
The first documented case of Listeria was in 1924 after two researchers independently discovered a bacteria tied to animal outbreaks. They wanted to name it Listerella in honor of pioneering surgeon Joseph Lister, but that was taken by other bacteria and therefore it was given the name Listeria. Listeriosis is described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, is an important public health problem in the United States.”
Whole Foods’ statement on why they were ordering the recall: “Whole Foods Market is recalling cheese sold in all stores nationwide that came from its supplier because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, 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. Consumers should seek immediate medical care if they develop these symptoms.”