FDA issues recall of cheese products sold nationwide over fears of contamination from bacteria and RODENTS

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Five cheese products have been urgently recalled due to being potentially contaminated with deadly bacteria and rodents.
Wegmans Food Markets has voluntarily recalled four of its cheese products containing camembert and brie cheese after they were found to be at risk of containing listeria, a type of bacteria that causes severe diarrhea and muscle aches.
The recall included the following products: Wegmans Medium Camembert Soft Ripened Cheese, 8.8 oz; Wegmans Assorted Cheese Flight, 1 lb; Wegmans Grilling Camembert with Tapenade & Roasted Tomatoes, 10 oz; and Wegmans Caramel Apple Pecan Topped Brie Cheese, 13 oz.
Affected products, supplied by Georgia-based Estancia Holdings, were pulled from stores after the company was notified by their French supplier that three shipments they received may be contaminated with listeria.
Recalled items were sold in the cheese department at all Wegmans stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington DC. They were sold between July 1 and August 12, 2025.
Additionally, New Hampshire-based Quesito El Establo recalled its Spanish Cheese (Quesito Colombiano) because they were manufactured at a facility with rodents, rodent activity and other unsanitary conditions, according to an FDA investigation.
The FDA warned this raised the risk of the products being contaminated with salmonella, which causes bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps.
The cheese was distributed to stores in Massachusetts targeting Hispanic and Latino customers. They all had the product code August 22, 2025, or earlier.
No illnesses have been reported for either recall.
Quesito El Establo has stopped production and distribution of affected products while the FDA and the company continue investigating.
Listeria, also called Listeriosis, is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
It can be found in moist environments, soil, water, decaying vegetation and animals, and can survive refrigeration and other food preservation measures.
Many foods can harbor the bug, but it is usually found in unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses and ready-to-eat foods, such as prepacked sandwiches.
Cooked shellfish, cured meats and fish, including sushi and pre-cut fruit, are also a risk.
Most people who eat food contaminated with Listeria will not become seriously ill.
But in some cases, it can cause confusion and seizures, miscarriages among pregnant women, and even death.
This can happen when the infection spreads beyond the gut and affects the central nervous system, which can lead to numbness and seizures.
The CDC estimates 1,600 Americans become infected with listeria every year, and about 260 die.
Salmonella typically causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps that begin six hours to six days after initial infection, according to the CDC.
Unlike most bacteria, once consumed some strains of salmonella can survive the stomach acid and travel into the intestines.
Once there, they burrow into the cells lining the organ, causing inflammation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. The bacteria may also enter the bloodstream and travel to other organs.
Most people recover within days, though the illness is responsible for more than 1.3million infections, 26,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths a year.
Customers who consumed any of the affected products should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund, the FDA said.