Sargento Cheeses Recalled Amid Listeria Contamination Concerns

 Posted on February 18, 2017 in Listeria

Cheese manufacturer Sargento recalled seven of its varieties of packaged cheese amid concerns of Listeria contamination. No cases of illness have been reported in conjunction with the cheese. The company recalled its cheeses after a Listeria outbreak was discovered at one of its suppliers' manufacturing plants. Its Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby and its Chef Blends Shredded Taco and Nacho Cheese varieties were flagged as being potentially contaminated. To contain any potential outbreak, Sargento also voluntarily recalled five other varieties manufactured at the same facility: Sliced Pepper Jack, Sliced Colby Jack, Off the Block Shredded Fine Cut Cheddar Jack, Off the Block Shredded Fine Cut Colby Jack, and Chef Blends Shredded Taco Cheese. Other cheeses produced at this facility were sold as Meijer's store brand, Sara Lee, and Amish Classics products.

Consuming food products contaminated with listeria can cause listeriosis, a type of food poisoning that can cause nausea, headaches, and diarrhea. When it spreads to the nervous system, it can cause the victim to suffer from joint aches, convulsions, and a loss of balance.

How Does Listeria Develop in Dairy Products?

Listeria can be found in a variety of food products, including soft cheeses, smoked seafood, processed meats like hot dogs and deli meats, and raw sprouts. It can be found in soil and water, which is what equips it to enter produce and livestock. When an animal eats contaminated produce, the listeria can exit its body through its waste, then recontaminate the field or contaminate new fields of produce when the manure is used as fertilizer. Because listeria and other types of harmful bacteria can travel wide distances through this cycle, it can be difficult to trace an outbreak of listeriosis to its origin point.

When the raw food product is harvested, whether it is from a plant or animal source, it can carry the bacteria into the processing plant and potentially contaminate any food products with which it comes into contact. This can happen before the food is processed or after. Pasteurization can kill harmful bacteria, as can the cooking processes used when preparing processed meats.
However, unsanitary storage and handling practices can contaminate cooked and pasteurized food products.

Dairy products are often eaten cold or raw, which makes them particularly dangerous because they do not undergo a second cooking process to kill any potential bacteria. This is why pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are advised to avoid soft cheeses.

Work with an Experienced Buffalo Grove Food Poisoning Lawyer

If you or your child become ill after consuming food prepared in a restaurant or another food vendor or if you consume contaminated food that should have been removed from store shelves following a recall, you could be entitled to receive monetary compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. To learn more about seeking compensation this way, contact our team of food poisoning lawyers at Newland & Newland, LLP to set up your initial consultation in our office. We serve clients in the Arlington Heights, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca areas.

(image courtesy of Christian Bauer)