Saputo cheese products recalled over listeria concerns

Saputo Inc. is voluntarily recalling some Gouda cheese products after its supplier identified Listeria monocytogenes during routine, random testing of the product, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Feb. 15.

The Defense Commissary Agency has publicized this recall notice to all of its stores, said Richard Stith, lead consumer safety officer for DeCA headquarters at Fort Lee, Virginia. Whenever a commissary has a recalled product in its inventory, the product is immediately removed from store shelves.

The following products affected by this recall could be sliced at the deli counter with no UPC and chunked with no bar code:

• Great Midwest Applewood Smoked Gouda Cheese, random weight 6 pounds, sell by date May 22, 2017
• Dutchmark Pasteurized Processed Smoked Gouda Cheese, random weight 2 pounds, best when used by Nov. 18, 2017.

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 Saputo at 1-877-578-1510 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.