Meet the experts: Darin Detwiler, LPD., associate professor of food policy at Northeastern University and author of Food Safety: Past, Present and Prospects; Barbara Kowalcyk, Ph.D.associate professor and director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University

So which cheeses are affected and should you be concerned about listeria? Here’s what food safety experts want you to know.

What cheeses are affected?

The FDA has one full list of the affected cheeses, along with photos if you are unsure. All cheeses have a best-buy date of 24.12.2024.

Here are the cheeses affected by the recall:

• Aldi Emporium Selection Brie, 12/8oz
• La Bonne Vie Brie, 6/8oz
• La Bonne Vie Camembert, 6/8oz
• 12/8oz Industrial Brie
• Market Basket Brie 6/8oz
• Supreme Oval 7oz, 6/7oz

If you think you have an affected product, do not eat it. The FDA recommends throwing it away or returning it to the point of purchase.

How does listeria get into cheese?

Listeria is a pathogen found in the environment, he says Barbara Kowalcyk, Ph.D.associate professor and director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University. “It can get into products like soft cheeses, hot dogs and deli meats after processing and become really problematic,” she says.

Soft cheese may be more of a potential listeria problem than hard cheese due to its high moisture content, which the pathogen. likesays Kowalcyk.

Unfortunately, Listeria monocytogenes “thrives in cold environments,” he says Darin Detwiler, LPDassociate professor of food policy at Northeastern University and author of Food Safety: Past, Present and Prospects. “It can grow at refrigeration temperatures, which means it can persist in cold storage environments where many other pathogens cannot,” he says.

That makes it harder for facilities that handle refrigerated or frozen foods to get rid of them, Detwiler says. “Additionally, Listeria can form biofilms, which are protective layers that allow the bacteria to survive cleaning and sanitizing procedures,” he says. “This makes complete removal from equipment and surfaces in food processing plants difficult.”

Many people don’t cook soft cheeses, which makes this recall particularly troubling, Kowalcyk says. (Listeria can be killed at temperatures of at least 165°F, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.)

What is listeria?

Listeria are bacteria that can cause serious illness and even death, according to the CDC. Listeria monocytogeneswhich triggered the recall, can lead to a rare but potentially fatal condition known as listeriosis.

About 1,600 people contract listeriosis each year in the U.S., and 260 die from it, according to the CDC. Although anyone can get listeriosis, it’s especially dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC.

Listeriosis symptoms

Listeria can cause intestinal disease or invasive disease (meaning it spreads beyond the intestine). The most common symptoms of an intestinal listeria infection are diarrhea and vomiting that begin within 24 hours of eating the contaminated food and last for one to three days, according to CDC.

Invasive listeria disease can lead to these symptoms, according to the CDC:

• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• seizures

“Most people with robust immune systems do not get sick when exposed to listeria; or if they do get sick, it’s very easy,” says Kowalcyk. “Even pregnant women can have mild or flu-like symptoms.” But listeriosis in pregnant women can lead to stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth or a life-threatening infection in the newborn, she says.

What to do if your cheese is affected

If you have the affected cheese in your refrigerator, the FDA recommends throwing it away or returning it to where you purchased it for a full refund.

If you are pregnant, elderly or have a compromised immune system, Kowalcyk recommends being careful when handling these products. “Cross-contamination is also a problem,” she says. “Be aware of the risk.”