
Whole Foods announced that it would recall all of the Papillion Organic Roquefort cheese carried in its stores after the FDA discovered traces of listeria.
If you’ve purchased Papillion Organic Roquefort cheese from a Whole Foods Market recently, you should probably get rid of it. According to a report from ABC News, the grocery company has recalled this particular brand of cheese in stores throughout the country following the discovery of a strain of bacteria that can lead to listeria infections.
The company said that the cheese would be recalled from their stores after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration discovered evidence of Listeria monocytogenes in a sealed wheel of the Papillion Organic Roquefort cheese. Whole Foods will recall every wheel of this cheese, regardless of the sell-by date.
There have been no illnesses reported from customers who have purchased the cheese yet, although listeria infections tend to take a long time to incubate before symptoms appear. According to Bill Marler, a food safety attorney, in some cases listeria infections can take 60 days to incubate, posing a great challenge for regulators attempting to trace the disease.
Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and anybody else with a weakened immune system are particularly susceptible to listeria infections, though it can still affect anyone. Listeria can bring about high fevers, headaches, muscle stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In some cases, it can lead to stillbirths in pregnant women.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria infections are typically transmitted through food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Infections can be prevented by thoroughly cooking food and storing it in a safe area. Cheese is not the only food product that can be infected; raw produce like fruits and vegetables, meats and poultry, and even pre-made meals can transmit the deadly infection.
The FDA recommends rinsing raw produce by running it under tap water before eating, preparing and cooking. Produce should still be washed even if it will be peeled later. Produce like melons or cucumbers should be scrubbed to prevent any bacteria getting into the final meal.
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