The recall was announced late last week after Deutsch Kase Haus notified Sargento about a potential Listeria contamination of its specialty Longhorn Colby Cheese it supplied to the company and packaged at its Plymouth, Wisconsin, facility.
According to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website, the recall has been classified as “Class I” health hazard, meaning that that while it is a health hazard situation “there is no reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”
There have been no reported illnesses, according to Sargento.
According to FSIS, the consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause Listeriosis, which is characterized by fever, headache, muscle aches, stiff neck, loss of balance, convulsion, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
What cheese products were affected?
Sargento first issued a recall of its Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby and Chef Blends Shredded Nacho & Taco Cheese.
Out of “an abundance of caution,” Sargento said it has recalled five other cheese products produced on the same production line as the Colby cheese including: Sliced Colby-Jack Cheese, 12 oz., Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese, 12 oz., Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Taco Cheese 8 oz., Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Colby-Jack Cheese, 8 oz., and Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Cheddar Jack Cheese.
Sargento said that it will help issue reimbursements to customers who purchased the affected cheese products and said in a statement that no other branded products were impacted by the recent recall.
The Sargento website also provides a “Search Product” tool to help consumers determine whether or not their purchased cheese is included in the recall.
Product ripple effect
Taylor Farms, which uses Sargento cheese in its chicken and pork premade salad products has also issued a recall of its Bevel Shred Pepperjack cheese.
Also following the Sargento recall, Texas-based Country Fresh has recalled 2,552 cases of various cooking and snacking products that contained Sargento branded cheeses.
Both companies urged consumers to either return or throw out the possibly contaminated product, or return it to the purchase location.