Cooperstown Cheese Company of Milford, NY, is recalling 1400 pounds of cheese purchased, sold or distributed from June 21, 2023 to July 10, 2023 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.
Product was distributed in New York State and reached customers through farmers markets, restaurants and retail stores. In a retail store, the product may be repackaged and wrapped in cellophane or cheese paper or vacuum sealed. The products are labelled as Jersey Girl, Toma Celena and Abbie. At farmers markets, the product is wrapped in cheese paper or plastic. The products found at farmers markets are labelled as Jersey Girl, Toma Celena, SK, Jersey Gold, Marielle, Jersey Girl with garlic/rosemary, Jersey Girl spring onion, Bobby’s got the Blues, Toma Torino, Jersey Gold with garlic, and Abbie. Cut and wrapped, the product would last roughly 2 weeks, depending on storage. In restaurants, the products are labelled as Jersey Girl and Toma Celena. All are labelled with Cooperstown Cheese Company labels that contain the company contact information.
The listeria was found through routine environmental testing by the firm and during an FDA inspection.
The company has ceased production as they and FDA continue to investigate the problem.
No illnesses have been reported to date.