Bad news for fans of soft cheeses: Brie and camembert products from more than 20 brands sold across the United States and Mexico are part of a massive recall over concerns that the cheeses are potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to an announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Here’s what to know.
Which cheeses are being recalled?
Old Europe Cheese, Inc. of Benton Harbor, Mich.—the manufacturer of all of the cheeses in question—issued a voluntary recall of all of their brie and camembert cheese products after one cheese sample from the company’s processing facility tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
The recall includes all flavors, sizes, and quantities of brie and camembert cheeses manufactured by Old Europe Cheese, Inc. with best-by dates ranging from Sept. 28, 2022 to Dec. 14, 2022. The tricky part, though, is that the cheeses were sold as more than 20 different brands, so you’ll need to check any brie or camembert in your fridge with best-by dates in that range against this complete list of individual products.
Some of the brands included in the recall are:
Reny Picot
Block & Barrel
Charmant
Culinary Tour
Glenview Farms
Good & Gather
Joan of Arc
La Bonne Vie
Lidl Preferred Selection
Life in Provence
Market 32
Matrie’d
Primo Taglio
Red Apple Cheese
St. Randeaux
Taste of Inspiration
St. Rocco
The recalled cheeses were sold at retailers across the country, including:
Albertsons
Safeway
Meijer
Stop & Shop
Sprouts
Trader Joe’s
Whole Foods
Giant Foods
Fresh Thyme
Lidl
Heinen’s
Shaw’s
Price Chopper
Market Basket
Raley’s
Save Mart
If you’ve purchased brie or camembert cheeses without a label mentioning a brand (e.g. if it was wrapped in plastic in your local supermarket and has a label with the price and weight), the FDA suggests asking your retailer about the brand or manufacturer, or simply not eating the cheese.
What to do if you’ve purchased any of the recalled cheeses
If you’ve purchased any of the brie and/or camembert products included in the recall, the FDA urges consumers not to eat them and, instead, to throw them out.
The agency also recommends cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with the recalled cheeses to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. (Not only can Listeria survive in refrigerated temperatures, it can also easily spread to other foods and surfaces.)
Anyone with questions or concerns about the recall can contact Old Europe Cheese by phone at 269-925-5003 ext 335, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET.