Dutch Valley Food Distributors, Schlabach branch is recalling some cheeses and gift and sampler boxes for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Deutsch Kase Haus made these cheeses; their products have been recalled. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of these products.

You can see the long list of recalled products, product photos, package sizes, and codes and use by dates at the FDA web site. They include many varieties of Guggisberg cheeses, including Colby, Colby Jack, Farmers Cheese, and Thunderjack Cheese mini horn, as well as items such as Cheese Lover’s Box, Holiday Delight Box, Country Christmas Basket, and Taste of Goodness Basket, among others. The gift boxes were sold from 9/1/16 to 2/15/17. All of these items were distributed in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

If you purchased any of these products, do not eat them. Throw them away in a secure garbage receptacle or a sealed container so other people and animals an’t eat them, or take them back to the place of purchase for a full refund. Then clean out your refrigerator using a solution of one tablespoon liquid chlorine bleach to one gallon of warm water. Listeria bacteria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, and freezing does not kill it.

If you ate any of these recalled products, watch yourself for the symptoms of listeriosis for the next 70 days. They include severe headache, high fever, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Pregnant women need to be especially cautious of this infection, since it can cause miscarriage and stillbirth, even if the woman is only mildly ill. If you do get sick, go to your doctor and tell him you ate one of these recalled products.