Recall for Bergkäse because of Listeria

Recall for Bergkäse because of Listeria

05/12/2012

The Austrian milk processing company Tirolmilch GmbH has started a recall campaign for several mountain cheese products because of contained Listeria. The germs detected in the cheese rind are a risk, not to be underestimated, especially for immunocompromised persons and during pregnancy.

As the company announced, the listeria were „as part of internal quality assurance“ noted on the bark of several cheeses. Tirolmilch therefore launched a recall campaign for the affected cheese products and warned against the health risks. However, the Listeria are only on the cheese rind, the interior of the cheese is not affected, so the message from the milk processing company.

According to information of the Tirolmilch GmbH the affected by the recall are the „Andreas Hofer Anniversary Cheese 250g“ with a best-before date until 09 February 2012, the „Tyrolean mountain cheese 400g“ also durable until 09 February 2012, the „Spar Natur Pur Organic Mountain Cheese 200g“ with the best before date 02 February 2012 and the“Clever mountain cheese 250g“ Best before 09 February 2012 and the „Zillertal mountain cheese (sliced) 150g“ Date of minimum durability 08 February 2012. Consumers should refrain from consuming the cheese products concerned.

Although an infection with Listeria in persons with good defenses usually relatively harmless - at worst, symptoms such as headache, fever, nausea and vomiting - but for immunocompromised people, the germs represent a significant health risk. They are threatened with listeriosis with particularly severe course the infection often affects several organs. Immune-compromised individuals often experience life-threatening meningitis or septicemia during listeriosis, the latter causing septic shock in about one in ten patients. Women in pregnancy should also abstain from consuming the mentioned cheese products because they are on the one hand subject to a significantly increased risk of infection and, on the other hand, threaten serious consequences for the unborn child. Thus, the likelihood of prematurity or stillbirth increases markedly by the infection with Listeria, and there is also an increased risk of developing impairments in the unborn child, as the infection in the mother's body can pass to the organism of the child. (Fp)