Before you get ready to make your next sandwich or taco, do yourself a favor and check your cheese. Sargento Foods, Inc. has issued a recall of several types of cheeses due to possible listeria contamination. Wondering which Sargento cheese has been recalled? Currently, seven specific product packages have been recalled due to "potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes" at one of Sargento's suppliers, Indiana-based Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC. The Sargento cheeses affected by the recall were packaged at a Wisconsin facility; two may have been directly contaminated while five other packaged cheeses were also recalled out of an abundance of caution, according to Sargento's website. Additionally, no illnesses have been reported.
The recalled Sargento products included both sliced and shredded cheese packages. A potent bacteria, listeria symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and even weakness and confusion, according to FoodSafety.gov. Pregnant women and older adults are the highest risk groups for contracting listeria. Moms-to-be should know that there is no safe window for contracting listeria while pregnant, and carries the risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, and even maternal death. Scary stuff for sure, so whether you're pregnant or considering getting pregnant — listeria bacteria has an incubation period of three to 70 days — definitely check your fridge for the following recalled Sargento cheeses.
Now let's say you have any of the recalled foods at home, and it looks like you might have eaten a few slices... If you've eaten any of the recalled products, Sargento recommends you get in touch with your health care provider ASAP and be on the lookout for symptoms of listeria infection. Here's a rundown of each recalled Sargento cheese with product photos, UPC codes, and Sell By dates. You can also double check your Sargento UPC code online at their website, too.
Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby
Sold in 6.84 oz. packages, this cheese has UPC code 4610000228, and Sell By dates of 12APR17B and 10MAY17B.
Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Nacho & Taco Cheese
This cheese blend was sold in 8 oz. packages with UPC code 4610040041 and Sell By dates of H14JUN17 and H12JUL17.
Sargento Sliced Colby-Jack Cheese
These 12 oz. sliced cheese packages have UPC code 4610000109 and a Sell By date of 11JUN17B.
Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese
These 12 oz. sliced cheese packages have UPC code 4610000108 and Sell By dates of 12JUN17B, 09JUL17B, and 10JUL17B.
Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Taco Cheese
This cheese blend was sold in 8 oz. packages with UPC code 4610040002 and Sell By dates of H14JUN17 and F28JUN17.
Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Colby-Jack Cheese
This shredded cheese blend was sold in 8 oz. packages with UPC code 4610040014 and a Sell By date of F05JUL17.
Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Cheddar Jack Cheese
This shredded cheese blend was sold in 8 oz. packages with UPC code 4610040076 and a Sell By date of F05JUL17.
What should you do if you bought a recalled Sargento product? If you find that you have the any of the recalled cheeses from Sargento in your fridge, the company recommends that you throw out the packages to ensure no one in your household eats the recalled cheeses. Additionally, they recommend that consumers should wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after handling packages, slices, or shreds of the affected cheese. While Sargento hasn't stated whether they are issuing refunds, consumers can contact the company with questions — just note that they're experiencing both high email and call volume in the wake of their recall.
