Sargento expands cheese recall

After a previous voluntary recall of specific Sargento cheese products, Sargento Foods Inc. is expanding the recall to include additional cheese products produced by a third-party supplier because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Feb. 17.

The Defense Commissary Agency has publicized this recall to all its stores, said Christopher Wicker, a public health advisor for DeCA headquarters at Fort Lee, Virginia. Whenever a commissary has a recalled or withdrawn product in its inventory, the product is immediately removed from store shelves.

The following products are affected by this recall:

• Sargento Sliced Colby, 8 ounces: UPC 4610000105 with a "sell by" date code of "15MAY17F"
• Sargento Sliced Muenster, 8 ounces: UPC 4610000107 with "sell by" date codes of "05MAR17F", "06MAR17F", "16APR17F", "17APR17F" and "15APR17F"
• Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack, 7.5 ounces: UPC 4610000122 with a "sell by" date code of "03MAY17B"
• Sargento Sliced Tomato & Basil Jack, 6.67 ounces: UPC 4610000279 with a "sell by" date code of "03MAR17B"
• Sargento Shredded Reduced Fat Colby Jack, 8 ounces: UPC 4610041018 with a "sell by" date code of "H07APR17"
• Sargento Shredded Chef Blends 4 Cheese Pizzeria, 8 ounces: UPC 4610041105 with a "sell by" date code of "H10APR17"
• Sargento Artisan Blends Double Cheddar Shredded Cheese, 8 ounces: UPC 4610040094 with "sell by" date codes of "H09JUN17 and "H08JUN17"

The following products were previously recalled but additional "sell by" dates have been added:

• Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby, 6.84 ounces: UPC 4610000228, with additional 'sell by' date codes of "02FEB17F", "01MAR17B" and "16MAR17F"
• Sargento Chefs Blend Taco Blend Shredded Cheese, 8 ounces: UPC 4610040002 with "sell by" date codes of "H11MAY17" and "H01JUN17"
• Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese, 12 ounces: UPC 4610000108 with "sell by" date codes of "11JUN17B", "02MAY17B" and "03MAY17B"
• Sargento Sliced Colby-Jack Cheese, 12 ounces: UPC 4610000109 with "sell by" date codes of "01MAY17B"
• Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Colby-Jack Cheese, 8 ounces: UPC 4610040014 with a "sell by" date code of "H06MAY17"
• Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Nacho & Taco Shredded Cheese, 8 ounces: UPC 4610040041 with 'sell by' date codes of "H04MAY17", "S15MAY17" and "H01JUN17"
• Sargento Off the Block Fine Cut Cheddar Jack Shredded Cheese, 8 ounces: UPC 4610040076 with 'sell by' date codes of "H09MAY17", "H08MAY17" and "H07MAY17"

The previous recall involved the following products:

• Sargento Sliced Colby-Jack Cheese, 12 ounces: UPC 4610000109 with "sell by" date codes of "11JUN17B"
• Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese, 12 ounces: UPC 4610000108 with "sell by" date codes of "12JUN17B", "09JUL17B" and "10JUL17B"
• Sargento Chefs Blend Shredded Taco Cheese, 8 ounces: UPC 4610040002 with "sell by" date codes of "H14JUN17", "F28JUN17" and "D28JUN17"
• Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Colby-Jack Cheese, 8 ounces: UPC 4610040014 with "sell by" date codes of "F05JUL17"
• Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby, 6.84 ounces: UPC 4610000228, with 'sell by' date codes of "12APR17B" and "10MAY17B"
• Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Nacho & Taco Cheese, 8 ounces: UPC 4610040041 with 'sell by' date codes of "H14JUN17" and "H12JUL17"
• Amish Classics Colby Cheese: Item numbers 55209, 55241 and 55245 and lot numbers 110316V02, 110316V03 and 110316V04

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Customers should return this product to the commissary of purchase for a full refund.

Listeria monocytogenes may cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the frail or elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy adults may only suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infections may also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. The illness caused by these bacteria can take up to 70 days to appear.

Questions about this recall can be directed to Sargento Consumer Affairs at 1-800-243-3737, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. CST.