Lactalis has made three separate recalls in the space of one week in England and Australia.

The recall in England involves a cheese potentially containing Listeria monocytogenes. Two recalls in Australia of milk are because of chemical contamination and E. coli.

In England, Lactalis McLelland Ltd. recalled “Galloway Colored Medium Grated Cheddar” because it might contain Listeria monocytogenes.

Recalled Galloway Colored Medium Grated Cheddar

The 200-gram cheddar packages have the batch code 9154G53 and best-before date of Aug. 26, 2019. No other Lactalis McLelland products are known to be affected.

The Food Standards Agency advised consumers who have bought any of the product not to eat it and to return the cheese to the store from wher it was bought for a full refund.

Australian recalls

The first recall in Australia for Lactalis Australia Pty. Ltd. involved a group of milk products that may have a yellowish coloring and/or metallic chemical taste. Lactalis Australia believes they may contain a food grade dairy cleaning solution used for milk plant equipment. According to the company, all potentially contaminated product has been recalled and source of the problem identified.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) said it poses a low public health risk and there have been no reports of illness. The agency also advised consumers with the affected products to return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

Milk recalled due to potential chemical contamination

Products were available for sale at Coles, Woolworths, IGA and other retailers across Victoria, as well as three Coles stores in Southern New South Wales, and some petrol and convenience stores in the Murray, Riverina and Western districts of New South Wales.

“Lactalis Australia has identified the source of the contamination and taken the necessary steps to address it and prevent any recurrence of this problem in the future. As soon as the issue was identified, the authorities and retailers were notified, and a recall initiated,” said the company in a statement.

“This recall is being undertaken by Lactalis Australia to ensure the safety of our consumers as part of an ongoing commitment to maintain the highest possible standards of safety and product quality at all times.”

Use by dates for Pauls Smarter White Milk are June 25, 26 and 27; for Pauls Full Fat Cream Milk they are June 26 and 27; Pauls PhysiCALSkim has a use by date of June 27; Pauls PhysiCAL Low Fat has use by date June 26 and Pauls Rev Low Fat has use by date June 28.

Use by dates for Coles Lite Milk are June 25 and 26; for Coles Skim Milk it is June 25 and June 25 and 26 for Coles Full Cream Milk.

The second recall in Australia of milk was due to microbial E. coli contamination.

Contamination was detected during routine company testing. The source of the problem was identified as a processing failure. There have been no reports of illness.

Lactalis said that all potentially contaminated product has now been recalled and items manufactured at the site will only be released following microbiological testing to confirm product safety.

Products were sold at Coles, Woolworths, IGA and other retailers including food service venues across Victoria, as well as some retailers and food service outlets in Southern New South Wales including the Murray, Riverina and Western Districts of New South Wales.

All 2 liter bottles of 7-Eleven Lite Milk, Gippy Full Cream Milk, Gippy Lite Milk, Maxi Foods Lite Milk, Pauls Professional Cafe Crema Milk, Pauls Smarter White 2 percent Fat Milk and Rev Low Fat Milk are affected. Rev Low Fat Milk 1 liter carton is also involved. All items have a use by date of July 2, 2019.

Information about Listeria infection
Foods and beverages contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled cheese and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. 

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections and other complications. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth.