Whole Foods Market announces that it is recalling Crave Brothers Les Frères cheese in response to a recall by the Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Company of Waterloo, Wisconsin. The cheese is being recalled because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. To date, one illness and one death have been reported. Crave Brothers was informed by regulatory agencies of an ongoing investigation related to potential health risks associated with Listeria monocytogenes. The company immediately ceased the production and distribution of the products.

The recalled Crave Brothers Les Frères cheese was cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with Whole Foods Market scale labels. Below is a list of how the cheese was labeled, including PLU code, according to the state in which it was sold.

State Labeled as PLU
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas Les Frères 299682
Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah Crave Brothers Les Frères 299682
Florida Les Frères Wash Rind Product of USA 294473
Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey (stores in Marlton and Princeton only), Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Washington D.C. Crave Bros Les Frères 294473
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin Crave Brothers Les Frères Cheese by Pound 294473
Oregon, Washington Les Frères Crave Brothers 294473
Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee Les Frères Crave Brothers PO-RK 294473