Your Cheese May Have Been Recalled
Cheese lovers: check your refrigerator. El Abuelito Cheese Company of Paterson, New – Jersey is recalling all of its Queso fresco, quesillo and requeson products from – for possible listeria contamination, control of the Food and Drug Administration .Here is the (FDA) then , that knowing about the recall , including specific involved products, where they were sold and what to do if you bought them.
What cheeses are included in the review?
The review includes three types of cheese, each produced by El Abuelito Cheese:
- Queso fresco (fresh soft cheese) with expiration dates until 28 March 2021.
- Quesillo (Oaxaca, braided cheese) with sale dates until April 16, 2021.
- Requeson (ricotta) with sale dates until March 14, 2021.
By February 26, contaminated cheeses were responsible for 10 diseases and nine hospitalizations in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Although all products were manufactured in the same plant , they are marketed under the El Abuelito Cheese brand in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, and are also distributed as Rio Grande Groceries in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland, and also Rio Lindo cheeses in North Carolina and Maryland.
According to the FDA, the cheeses are also distributed under the following brands (although they do not specify where these varieties are distributed and sold): Viejito, El Paisano, El Sabrosito, La Cima, Quesos Finos, San Carlos and Ideal Brands.
The cheeses were sold in supermarkets, wholesalers and retail stores. As of February 27, the FDA has reason to believe that the El Abuelito brand products included in the recall have received multiple outlets in five states (Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania). You can see the full list of establishments here .
The FDA cautions that this list may not include all retailers that received the recalled product, or it may include retailers that did not actually receive the recalled product. As a result, it is important to use product-specific identification information, including UPC codes, available here and here . In addition, the FDA did not provide a list of potential locations where El Abuelito cheese was sold under different brand names.
What is Listeria monocytogenes?
Listeria monocytogenes is no joke. The body can cause many unpleasant (albeit short-term) symptoms in healthy people, including fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
But it can also cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems. The FDA says this is especially dangerous for pregnant women, as infection with Listeria monocytogenes can cause miscarriage and stillbirth.
What to do if you bought a recalled cheese
If you bought any of the cheeses above, do not eat them. Instead, return the items to the place of purchase for a full refund. In addition, the FDA recommends that anyone who has purchased or received any of the recalled cheeses take extra vigilance when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. This is especially important because Listeria can survive in low temperatures and spread easily to other foods and surfaces.
Consumers with questions can contact El Abuelito Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST and Saturday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm EST at (973) 345-3503.