After the Buitoni brand frozen pizzasinfected with bacteria Escherichia colithe cases of salmonellosis detected in Kinder chocolate products made in Belgium and recalled by the manufacturer Ferrero, it’s the turn of the cheese.
A recall campaign concerning two types of raw milk cheese from a Graindorge brand cheese dairy (which belongs to the Lactalis group) and marketed by major retailers was launched on Tuesday 5 April, after the discovery of a cheese containing the bacterium responsible for listeriosis, announced the government site Rappel Conso.
It relates to “a few hundred cheeses”, said Bruno Lefèvre, the director of the Fromagerie de Livarot, which produced them and which belongs to Graindorge. These are Coulommiers and Bries from the Normanville brand and the Graindorge brand. Graindorge is a brand specializing in the purchase and processing of raw milk, producing AOP and regional cheeses, owned since 2016 by Lactalis.
A check showed a very low presence of Listeria monocytogenes on a single cheese », explained Mr. Lefèvre. And, “in accordance with our quality procedures, we have decided to apply the precautionary principle and recall the entire batch made from milk collected from 4 of our milk producers” based in the Pays d’Auge, he said.
Rare but potentially fatal infection
These recalled cheeses may contain Listeria monocytogenes (agents responsible for listeriosis). Listeriosis, a foodborne infection, is rare – a few hundred cases per year in France – but once declared, it can be deadly: around a quarter of patients die. The incubation period can be up to eight weeks.
The cheeses concerned have been marketed throughout France since mid-March in the supermarkets of the Auchan, Leclerc, Casino, Carrefour, Intermarché, Cora, Système U brands, but also Schiever (very present in the northeast) and grocery stores WE Anti Gaspi. Another coulommiers marketed by Franprix and bearing the same batch number is subject to a recall under the same conditions.
The government site recommends returning the products for reimbursement or destroying them. People who have consumed the products and have a fever, isolated or accompanied by headaches, and body aches are invited to consult their doctor. Pregnant women, immunocompromised people and the elderly should be particularly attentive to these symptoms, it is specified.
The recall procedure is due to end on April 19. The identification number of the recalled batches is 250222LI9 and the health mark or stamp is FR 14.371.001 CE, according to the rappel.conso.gouv.fr website.