Whole Foods Market Discontinues Selling of Blue Cheese For Fear of Listeria Infection

Whole Foods Market Food and Drug Administration Blue Cheese Maytag Dairy Farms Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listeriosis

By Arvin Matthew Paculaba , Parent Herald Mar 04, 05:00 am

A brand of blue cheese has been taken off the shelves at all Whole Foods Market branches in the US. The popular grocery chain recalled the product due to fear that it might cause a nationwide food-poisoning crisis.

In a statement posted on the US Food and Drug Administration website, Whole Foods Market announced that it has discontinued the selling of Maytag Raw Milk Blue Cheeses. This was after two lots of the company's cheeses were found to be contaminated with a pathogenic bacteria known as Listeria monocytogenes.

Fortunately, there have been no reported infections associated with the contaminated cheese. Nevertheless, Whole Foods doesn't want to be complacent. The grocery chain is offering a full refund to those who still have the receipts of their purchase. To those who no longer have the receipt, Whole Foods recommends thoroughly disposing the product right away.

According to ABC News, Maytag Dairy Farms was the first to recall its own product last week, after the company discovered traces of Listeria monocytogenes in the some of its blue cheeses. The Iowa-based food producer later announced that it has suspended production and distribution of the said product.

Maytag Dairy Farms is currently working alongside the FDA to investigate the root of the contamination. For those wondering, the name of the product is Maytag Iowa Blue Cheese, also known as Maytag Blue. Its price lookup code is 293308. Lastly, its sell-by dates are Jan. 20 and March 21, 2016.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website describes listeriosis as a serious infection. It mainly affects senior citizens, adults with weak immune system, expectant mothers and newborns.

Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, diarrhea, muscle pains and gastrointestinal issues. The affected individual may also experience stiff neck, headaches, convulsions and loss of balance. The infection is more severe in pregnant women since it can lead to fatigue, premature delivery, miscarriage or stillbirth.

A relatively healthy person who has listeriosis, but is not pregnant, doesn't need any medical treatment. The infection usually disappears within a couple of weeks, as per Web MD.