Whole Foods Recalls Cheese In 5 Major Cities Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
Whole Foods Market is notifying customers in six different states that their Explorateur French Triple Crème cheeses could be affected by a listeria contamination.
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The voluntary recall has been extended to nine different stores around the country, in Arkansas, Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Texas, according to the Food and Drug Administration's official recall notice.
The cheese is being recalled after one of the distributors reached out to Whole Foods and notified them of the possibility that the cheese had been contaminated during production. The cheese in question is sold in stores under three separate names: Explorateur, Explorateur French Triple Crème Cheese, and Explorateur Triple Crème French Cheese.
Each of the affected products is sold pre-cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap, or sold in a single 8-ounce serving with clear Whole Foods' market branding.
All of the affected products were issued sell-by dates that range between 2/15/2018 and 4/3/2018.
The affected cheeses were sold by Whole Foods in Santa Fe, New Mexico; El Paso, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Greenwich, Connecticut; and Montclair, New Jersey. The full list of markets, and their addresses, can be found on the FDA's official listing.
If you happen to be one of the unlucky few to have purchased the cheese, Whole Foods is asking that you immediately discard it—or bring it into your local store for a full refund. The grocer has yet to receive any reports of shoppers becoming sick due to the possible listeria contamination.
Listeria can cause listeriosis, an illness that brings on flu-like symptoms and is particularly troublesome for the elderly or those with weakened immune systems. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention writes that the disease is especially dangerous for pregnant women.