Cheese Recall Update Sparks New Warning in Six States

An updated soft cheese recall has sparked warnings in six states over potential contamination with the dangerous bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

Packaged “Autumn Turkey Sandwich” products sold under the “CIBUS Fresh,” “Jack & Olive” and “Sprig and Sprout” brand names were recalled this week due to the inclusion of Glenview Farms Spreadable Brie, according to a recall notice posted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s website on Friday.

Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Pennsylvania-based Savencia Cheese USA told Newsweek that the company expanded a recall to include Glenview Farms Spreadable Brie after discovering that “processing equipment” used to make the cheese “may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.”

Indiana-based company CIBUS Fresh further expanded the recall to include the packaged sandwiches, which were sold in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. Consumers who purchased the sandwiches were urged to “dispose of the product and not consume it or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.”

The following products are included in the recall:

• CIBUS Fresh Autumn Turkey Sandwich sold in a 9.65oz package with the item code “79616,” the UPC number “00810028251915” and expiration dates of “11/02/24” to “11/09/24.”
• Jack & Olive Autumn Turkey Sandwich sold in a 9.65oz package with the item code “79615,” the UPC number “00810028251915” and expiration dates of “11/02/24” to “11/09/24.”
• Sprig and Sprout Autumn Turkey Sandwich sold in a 9.65oz package with the item code “84408,” the UPC number “00810028251915” and expiration dates of “11/03/24” to “11/09/24.”

CIBUS Fresh said that no more of its products were affected by the recall, while the company was “working with customers to ensure the impacted product is removed from store shelves and is no longer distributed.”

Newsweek has reached out for comment to CIBUS Fresh via email on Friday.

Listeriosis, an infection of Listeria monocytogenes, can cause serious illness even in people who are otherwise healthy. About 260 of an estimated 1,600 annual cases are fatal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While many listeriosis infections are limited to the digestive system, with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting developing within 24 hours of consuming contaminated food, a more invasive form of the illness develops in some within two weeks.

Symptoms of the invasive illness include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures. About one in 20 people who contract the invasive form of listeriosis without being pregnant will die of the illness.

For those who are pregnant, symptoms are generally mild or nonexistent, but invasive illness “usually leads to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn,” according to the CDC.

While cases of listeriosis are relatively rare, outbreaks of the serious illness occur sporadically and concerns about contamination with the bacteria are a common cause of food product recalls.

Earlier this year, an outbreak tied to recalled Boar’s Head deli meats had killed 10 people and sickened at least 59 others by late September, although the CDC noted that “the true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported.”

“Some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria,” the CDC said on September 25. “In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”