The Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers in 15 states to throw out or return bags of shredded cotija, parmesan, swiss, white cheddar and other cheeses from the brand Sargento over concerns of a potential listeria contamination.
Shredded cheese at the Sargento Cheese Company in Plymouth, Wisconsin.
Bags of shredded quesadilla cheese, taco cheese, Italian cheese, fancy shredded blend, cheddar, white cheddar, monterey jack, asiago cheese, swiss, parmesan and cotija with use-by dates stretching from Feb. 5 through July of this year are impacted by the recall.
The potentially contaminated bags were sold in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
The most heavily impacted products were white cheddar cheese and cotija, with more than 2,000 cases recalled per type.
More information on exactly which bags of cheese are being recalled is available from the FDA.
Sargento’s recall comes a month after a massive cheese, sour cream and yogurt recall by the brand Rizo-López Foods, which sold products linked to a listeriosis Rcontamination responsible for two deaths and two dozen illnesses across 11 states. Rizo-López Foods sells its products under several brand names, includinge 365 Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's branded items.
Listeria is a bacterial infection most commonly caused by contaminated foods. Those most at risk are people with compromised immune systems, senior citizens and pregnant women, who are 10 times more likely to get a listeria infection than other people, according to the CDC. Signs of a listeria infection include fever, flu-like symptoms, headaches, confusion, a loss of balance and seizures. An estimated 1,600 people get listeria each year and, of those, about 260 die.