Discounter Lidl recalls tainted cheese
The discount grocery chain Lidl has announced a product recall of two types of cheese it sells after finding the presence of bacteria that can be deadly in some cases.
The popular food discounter said higher-than-allowed concentrations of the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium had been found in individual samples of two cheeses – "Reinhardshof, Harzer Käse, 200g" and "Reinhardshof, Bauernkäse mit Edelschimmel, 200g." The company has pulled the cheeses off its shelves and is offering customers who purchased the products their money back.
"In the interest of consumer protection, Lidl recommends that customers not eat the cheese but return the product to a Lidl outlet, where the purchase price will be refunded," the company said.
According to Lidl, the cheeses were manufactured by the Austrian firm Prolactal.
The Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, common called Listeria, can appear in dairy or meat products that have not been handled properly. The presence of Listeria can not be recognized by smell or taste.
However, the bacterium is responsible for listeriosis, a potentially lethal food-borne infection. Symptoms include diarrhoea and stomach pain. If untreated, it can lead to high fever, severe headaches, paralysis and dizziness.
The infection can be serious and even deadly for pregnant women, babies, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
Listeria can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
Comments
See Also
The popular food discounter said higher-than-allowed concentrations of the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium had been found in individual samples of two cheeses – "Reinhardshof, Harzer Käse, 200g" and "Reinhardshof, Bauernkäse mit Edelschimmel, 200g." The company has pulled the cheeses off its shelves and is offering customers who purchased the products their money back.
"In the interest of consumer protection, Lidl recommends that customers not eat the cheese but return the product to a Lidl outlet, where the purchase price will be refunded," the company said.
According to Lidl, the cheeses were manufactured by the Austrian firm Prolactal.
The Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, common called Listeria, can appear in dairy or meat products that have not been handled properly. The presence of Listeria can not be recognized by smell or taste.
However, the bacterium is responsible for listeriosis, a potentially lethal food-borne infection. Symptoms include diarrhoea and stomach pain. If untreated, it can lead to high fever, severe headaches, paralysis and dizziness.
The infection can be serious and even deadly for pregnant women, babies, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
Listeria can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.