Fresh listeria fears as dozens of artisan cheese varieties are pulled from shelves

Dozens of types of artisan cheese have been urgently recalled over fears they could be contaminated with listeria.

Food safety watchdogs have issued a warning over the potential risk posed 26 products made by The Cambridge Food Company that have a ‘use by’ date up to and including April 14, 2023.

Cheddar, Stilton and Wensleydale are among the varieties that the Wiltshire brand sold to 15 retailers across England, including in London, Leicester and York.

The recall is a ‘precautionary’ step over concerns that these cheeses were cross-contaminated with other products that were found to contain the bacteria.

It comes after health chiefs announced last week that a Briton had died from listeria in an outbreak linked to contaminated cheeses.

Those who eat food containing listeria develop an infection called listeriosis, which can cause a fever, aches and pains, chills, nausea, sickness and diarrhoea

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) last night urged the public not to eat the any of the 26 newly identified cheeses.

They include Pitchfork Cheddar, T & T Stilton and Old Roan Wensleydale options, as well as The Cambridge Food Company’s Alpen, Appleby Red Cheshire and Kirkhams Lancashire cheese.

The products are sold to wholesalers and retailers as 1kg wheels but may then be cut into smaller pieces for sale to Brits in shops and at deli counters.

Butchers Meat n16 in north London and Bridge 67 in Leicester are among those who have bought the batches. 

Brits who believe they may have purchased the affected products should not eat them. They can contact The Cambridge Food Company for a full refund.

Those who have brought the items have also been advised to isolate the cheese and package it securely for the company to collect. 

They should also thoroughly clean any surfaces they may have touched to prevent cross-contamination of other foods.

Dr Caroline Handford, head of incidents at the FSA, said: ‘The Cambridge Food Company Ltd (trading as Cheese +) has recalled several of its cheeses because they might contain Listeria monocytogenes. 

‘This is a voluntary recall due to possible cross-contamination at the premises with cheese products previously recalled. 

‘This issue only affects products sold at the food businesses listed in the recall notice. 

‘We welcome the precautionary approach being taken by the company and are advising consumers not to eat any of the products listed in the FSA alert.’

It comes after The Cambridge Food Company last month recalled three cheeses— The Old Cheese Room Baronet, Baby Baronet and Mini Baronet — after listeria was found in some batches of the products.

Earlier this week, Pennard Red Goats Cheese with a best before date of April 28, made by Somerset Cheese Company, was recalled after it was found to contain listeria.

Listeria is a bacteria which poses a particular threat to the elderly, pregnant women and babies.

For most people, listeria poisoning can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills and feeling or being sick.

Usually symptoms recede after a few days.

However, some vulnerable groups can develop life-threatening complications, such as sepsis and meningitis.

Listeria most commonly infects chilled, ready-to-eat foods such as pre-packed sandwiches, pate and soft cheeses.

According to the latest available data, a total of 124 cases of listeriosis were reported in England and Wales in 2020.

Meanwhile in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 1,600 people get listeriosis each year.

Last month, the FSA and UK Health Security Agency said that they had detected three listeria cases ‘potentially linked to an outbreak’ and that one person had died.

Food safety watchdogs have now issued an urgent warning over the potential risk posed by certain Baronet semi soft cheeses, some of which contain ‘exceptionally high levels’ of the bacteria

Food safety watchdogs have issued an urgent warning over the potential risk posed by a batch of Pennard Red Goats Cheese (pictured) 

They did not provide any further details on the fatality.

All of those infected had a closely genetically related strain of listeria that has also been found in samples of Baronet cheese.

However, that does not necessarily mean that all those involved in the outbreak contracted listeriosis as a result of eating Baronet cheese.

Listeria has also been found in samples taken from ‘food environments’, they said.

However, it is unclear where these are and officials insisted there is ‘no confirmation’ that Baronet is the cause of the outbreak.

Health chiefs are investigating the cause of the outbreak