This week there have been several recalls in the US and Canada due to various cheeses being potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Meanwhile in the UK, a Lidl Sushi product has been recalled due to multiple undeclared allergens.

Pathogens

In the US, Old Europe Cheese Inc has expanded its voluntary recalls of multiple Brie and Camembert Cheeses due to a possible contamination of Listeria monocytogenes.

Since an initial recall on 30 September 2022, Old Europe Cheese Inc has expanded its recall of cheeses to include additional products, specifically baked brie cheeses.

The full list of recalled cheeses can be found here.

Customers have been warned to look out for baked brie products with best by dates up to 14 December 2022. The products were distributed from 1 August 2022 to 28 September 2022 and were sent to supermarkets, wholesale and retail stores throughout the US and Mexico.

Customers who have bought the recalled product have been urged not to eat them, instead they should discard them. The FDA has recommended that customers who purchased the product should also be vigilant when cleaning and sanitising any work surfaces the cheese may have encountered to reduce risk of cross-contamination.

Also in the US, Swiss American is recalling St Louis Brie products after being alerted by the manufacturer Old Europe Cheese Inc that products could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The full list of recalls, including UPC codes and best before dates to look out for can be found here.

Meanwhile in Canada, certain Nature’s Best and Zavat Chalav Mozzarella Cheese products have been recalled due to a possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The recalled products include:

• Nature’s Best Light Mozzarella in 800g packs with a UPC code of 680852001846 and a best before date of 2023/01/20
• Zavat Chaval Light Mozzarella Things in 150g packs with a UPC code of 680852910896 and a best before date of 23/01/20
• Zavat Chalav Shredded Light Mozzarella in 800g packs with a UPC code of 680852910445 and a best before date of 2023/01/21

The recalled products have been sold in Quebec and ontario but may have been distributed in other provinces and territories.

Customers who have purchased the recalled products have been advised to not consume, serve, use, sell or distribute the products. Instead, they should throw them away or return them to the store they were purchased from for a full refund.

Undeclared allergens

In the UK, Lidl GB have recalled selec and Go Sushi Box Salmon and Shrimp because the product contains undeclared crustaceans, fish, mustard, sesame, soya, egg, wheat (gluten), milk and sulphites which are not emphasised on the label.

This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with coeliac disease, and/or an allergy to crustaceans, and/or fish, and/or mustard, and/or sesame, and/or soya, and/or an allergy or intolerance to egg, and/or wheat or gluten, and/or milk or milk constituents, and/or anyone with a sensitivity to sulphur dioxide and/or sulphites.

The product being recalled is sold in a pack size of 330g and has use by dates up to and including 11 October 2022.

Lidl GB has been advised to contact the relevant allergy support organisations which will tell their members about the recall. The company has also issued a point-of-sale notice to its customers.

Customers with the relevant allergens have been advised not to eat the product, instead they can return it to the Lidl GB store they purchased it from for a full refund.