Mounet Group brand Labneh soft unripened cheese in vegetable oil is being recalled because it may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism poisoning.

There is concern that consumers may have the product in their homes because its expiration date is not until Aug. 15, 2023, according to a recall notice posted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

This recall was triggered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s inspection activities. The recalled product has been sold in Quebec.

The agency is warning people to not consume, use, sell, serve or distribute the recalled cheese As of the posting of the recall notice on Nov. 18 there have not been any confirmed illnesses related to the recalled cheese.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. The CFIA is verifying that the industry is removing recalled products from the marketplace.

The recalled soft cheese can be identified by the following information.

about botulism

While a variety of illnesses can result from eating under-processed food, one of the most dangerous is botulism poisoning. Untreated, botulism can paralyze the muscles needed for breathing, resulting in sudden death. The symptoms can come on quickly.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled cheese and developed signs of botulism poisoning should immediately seek medical attention, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

“In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, symptoms can begin as soon as 6 hours after or up to 10 days later,” according to the CDC website.

The symptoms of botulism may include some of all of the following: double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. People with botulism poisoning may not show all of these symptoms at once.

These symptoms result from muscle paralysis caused by the toxin. If untreated, the disease may progress, and symptoms may worsen to cause paralysis of specific muscles, including those used in breathing and those in the arms, legs, and the body from the neck to the pelvis area.