Food and drink

Cheese recalled with “maximum warning” in four states due to fears of Listeria with very serious consequences

The FDA has issued a Class 1 recall for Der Mutterschaf cheese sold in New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Montana.

Pixabay

Scottish sports journalist and content creator. After running his own soccer-related projects, in 2022 he joined Diario AS, where he mainly reports on the biggest news from around Europe’s leading soccer clubs, Liga MX and MLS, and covers live games in a not-too-serious tone. Likes to mix things up by dipping into the world of American sports.

Update: Oct 4th, 2025 18:40 EDT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Class 1 recall alert for 4-ounce and 8-ounce packages of Der Mutterschaf cheese after listeria was detected in one batch.

Products affected

The recall applies to Batch 33, with the following UPC codes located beneath the barcode:

810154560189 (4-ounce packages)
810154560196 (8-ounce packages)

The products were sold in seven stores across New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Montana.

What a Class 1 recall means

According to the FDA, a Class 1 recall is “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

Listeria risk explained

Listeria infection is caused by bacteria commonly found in food. Routine testing revealed the presence of listeria in the recalled cheese, which is made by Goot Essa LLC. None of the company’s other cheeses are affected.

Each year in the United States, about 1,250 people are diagnosed with listeria infections. Of those cases, around 1,000 require hospitalization and an estimated 170 result in death.

Who is most vulnerable

Young children, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems are especially at risk of severe illness from listeria. Pregnant women are also at higher risk, as infection can cause miscarriage or stillbirth.

No illnesses reported

So far, no illnesses linked to the recalled cheese have been reported.

An upset stomach, diarrhea, and vomiting are the early signs of a listeria infection and usually appear within a day of eating contaminated food.

If the bacteria spread through the bloodstream to the brain and spinal cord, additional symptoms may develop, including flu-like illness, a stiff neck, confusion or changes in alertness, loss of balance, and seizures. These more serious symptoms can take anywhere from two weeks to two months after eating contaminated food to appear.