Listeria hysteria: The truth behind recalls of trendy cheeses
Listeria hysteria: Full list of cheeses recalled over fears they’re contaminated with dangerous bug
- Food safety chiefs have issued numerous warnings over some raw-milk cheeses
- But some experts are now calling on the FSA to ban ‘all’ sales of raw milk
Dozens of cheeses have been recalled over the past month over fears they’re contaminated with listeria.
And last week, health chiefs announced one Brit had also died from listeria in an outbreak linked to contaminated cheese.
In total, 30 varieties of cheese with various ‘best before’ dates have been pulled from shelves, either because listeria was detected on the samples, or over fears the products had been cross-contaminated.
The concern over the affected cheeses has sparked fresh warnings over the risks of consuming products made from raw milk, which can contain a host of bacteria.
Here, MailOnline delves into the products which have raised the alarm and the health concerns around the bacterial infection.
Last month food safety watchdogs issued an urgent warning over the potential risk posed by certain Baronet semi soft cheeses, some of which contain ‘exceptionally high levels’ of the bacteria
Dozens of cheeses, including Pennard Red Goats Cheese have been recalled over the past month over fears they’re contaminated with listeria
For health-conscious, organic-loving shoppers, raw milk is a growing food fad.
Fans call it milk as nature intended: nutrient-rich and full of probiotics, the good kind of bacteria.
Some even go further, labelling it a superfood that aids digestion, boosts the immune system and treats asthma, eczema and allergies.
But scrutiny has intensified in recent weeks over recent cases of raw-milk cheeses being linked to serious illnesses.
While the vast majority of milk we drink is pasteurized — heat-treated to kill off harmful pathogens — raw milk, on the other hand, goes straight from udder to bottle.
What is listeriosis?
Most people that catch listeriosis, caused by bacteria called listeria, will only experience mild symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhoea.
Other symptoms of the infection can include a high temperature of 38C or above, aches and pains, and chills, according to the NHS.
However, more serious complications can develop in those with weakened immune systems, babies, the elderly and pregnant women.
Many foods can harbour listeria, but it is usually found in unpasteurised milk, soft cheeses and ready-to-eat foods, such as prepacked sandwiches.
Listeria is widespread in the environment and can be found in raw food and soil, and in the droppings of many mammals, birds, and fish.
Around 120 cases of listeriosis are confirmed every year in England, according to figures. It strikes around 1,600 annually in the US.
HOW CAN YOU AVOID LISTERIOSIS?
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
- Wash fruit and vegetables before eating them
- Store ready-to-eat foods as recommended by the manufacturer
- Make sure all hot food is steaming hot all the way through
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raw milk can also host a variety of human pathogens including listeria, salmonella and E. Coli.
Raw milk can become contaminated by the environment, milking equipment and cows’ udders.
Listeria is a bacteria which poses a particular threat to the elderly, pregnant women and babies.
For most people, listeria poisoning can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle aches, chills and feeling or being sick.
Usually symptoms recede after a few days.
However, some vulnerable groups can develop life-threatening complications, such as sepsis and meningitis.
Listeria most commonly infects chilled, ready-to-eat foods such as pre-packed sandwiches, pate and soft cheeses.
According to the latest available data, a total of 124 cases of listeriosis were reported in England and Wales in 2020.
Meanwhile in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 1,600 people get listeriosis each year.
The bacteria hit headlines last week after the Food Standards Agency and UK Health Security Agency said that they had detected three listeria cases ‘potentially linked to an outbreak’ and that one person had died.
They did not provide any further details on the fatality.
All of those infected had a closely genetically related strain of listeria that has also been found in samples of Baronet cheese made by Wiltshire-based The Old Cheese Room.
However, that does not necessarily mean that all those involved in the outbreak contracted listeriosis as a result of eating Baronet cheese.
Health chiefs are investigating the cause of the outbreak.
Then, earlier this week, a batch of Pennard Red Goats Cheese, made by Somerset Cheese Company, was recalled after it was found to contain listeria.
On Thursday, The Cambridge Food Company recalled dozens of its cheeses over concerns they could contain listeria, due to cross-contamination with the Baronet cheeses.
Which cheeses have been recalled?
The Old Cheese Room 1kg Baronet
Best Before Date: March 21, March 22, April 11, April 12, April 16 and April 18, 2023
The Old Cheese Room 270g Mini Baronet
Best Before Date: March 22, April 10 and April 18, 2023
The Old Cheese Room 200g Baby Baronet
Best Before Date: March 22, April 4, April 10 and April 16, 2023
Somerset Cheese Company 2kg and 250g Pennard Red Goats Cheese
Best Before Date: April 28, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Alpen cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Appleby Red Cheshire cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Kirkhams Lancashire cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Over the last month, various types of artisan raw-milk cheeses, including Pennard Red Goats Cheese and The Old Cheese Room Baronet, have also been recalled over listeria contamination fears
Last week, health chiefs announced one Brit had died from listeria in an outbreak linked to contaminated cheese
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Lincolnshire Poacher cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Mayfield cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Montgomery cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Ogleshield cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Old Roan Wensleydale cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Old Winchester cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Pitchfork Cheddar cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Quickies Mature cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Rachel cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Ashcombe cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Shropshire Blue cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Sparkenhoe cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Spenwood cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces T & T Stilton cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Westcombe cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Young Buck cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Beauvale cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Bybrook cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Cornish Kern cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Cropwell Bishop cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Dorset Blue Vinny cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Duckett’s Caerphilly cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Cheese + 1kg and any cut pieces Hafod cheese
Best Before Date: All dates up to and including April 14, 2023
Warning over celebrity-driven ‘raw milk revolution’ as industry experts suggest UK follows US and BANS sale of ‘dangerous’ products
It is a trend championed by celebrities including actress Gwyneth Paltrow, DJ Calvin Harris and actor Martin Sheen.
But drinking raw milk — which goes straight from cow to bottle, without being heat-treated to kill off harmful bacteria — is considered to be so risky that it is illegal to sell to the public in half of the US.
The product contains a variety of bugs, including listeria, salmonella and E. Coli, which can pose a serious health risk.
Under EU rules, member states can prohibit or restrict the sale of raw milk.
Meanwhile, in the UK, distribution of raw milk is only illegal in Scotland, meaning those backing the so-called ‘raw milk revolution’ can purchase the product in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This is despite the UK’s Food Standards Agency launching a review of the sector in 2018 after a series of food-poisoning outbreaks linked to drinking raw milk.
Listeria is a bacteria which poses a particular threat to the elderly, pregnant women and babies. For most people, listeria poisoning can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills and feeling or being sick. Usually symptoms recede after a few days. However, some vulnerable groups can develop life-threatening complications, such as sepsis and meningitis
Professor Paul Hunter, a microbiologist at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline: ‘The thing about Listeria is that although it’s optimal growth rate is still at 30 to 37C it can continue to grow even in a refrigerator as low as minus 1C, albeit slowly.
‘What this means is that the longer you keep riskier cheeses in the fridge the more the risk may increase.
‘I have no evidence to prove this was the case in the most recent outbreak, but I do worry that one of the issues with the current financial situation is that if people eating foods well past their use-by dates this could have increased the risk.
‘I would never personally drink raw milk. Listeria is the least of the issues of concern as there are other dangerous infections that cause outbreaks from its consumption.’
He added: ‘I would ban all sale of raw milk. I really don’t think most people realise the risk. But there is strong resistance to this from some sections.
‘I would not make it illegal to sell cheeses made with raw milk.’
Read more: Fresh warning to cheese lovers as ANOTHER artisan type gets pulled over listeria fears
And a growing body of evidence also suggests that increased availability of unpasteurised milk leads to more outbreak-associated illnesses.
According to CDC-commissioned study by the University of Cambridge last year, between 1998 and 2018, 202 disease outbreaks and 2,645 outbreak-associated illnesses occurred because of drinking raw milk.
Areas where raw milk was legally sold also had 3.2-times more outbreaks than areas where the sale of raw milk was illegal.
In 2020, the UK’s Food Standards Agency also tightened the controls it expects to see in the production of raw drinking milk in England and Wales, to protect public health and maintain consumer choice.
Under the updated guidance, the FSA said it expects producers to carry out periodic testing for specified pathogens and indicators of poor hygiene and disease which can be found in milk.
Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: ‘Cases of infections from raw milk happen in low numbers all the time but they are normally relatively mild.
‘However, they can cause very serious illness, particularly in the elderly or people with weakened immune systems.’
He added: ‘I never consume raw milk or its products and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
‘I don’t think I’d ban the practice, but I do sometimes think it has become a part of most people’s diets that they are unaware of the potential risks of unpasteurised milk and that risk should be spelt out more clearly.’
Meanwhile, Professor Cath Rees, a professor of microbiology at the University of Nottingham, told MailOnline: ‘Regarding drinking raw milk, there are no proven health benefits over just drinking pasteurised milk, and there are a lot of microbiological reasons why raw milk poses a higher risk to human health.’
However, she cautioned: ‘It is not to say that it is dangerous per se, especially as there are stringent guidelines put in place on farms wanting to sell this product and widespread distribution through supermarkets is illegal in this country.’
Government advice, ‘which is based on sound is scientific knowledge’, acknowledges the level of risk consuming raw milk has for different people, she added.
‘Should we ban everything when the risk is very low?’ she said.
‘If the law changed and it became much more widespread, perhaps I would feel differently, but as it is a niche product that some people really enjoy, I would say that statistically there is no basis to say they should be stopped from indulging in this.
‘Maybe just make it very clear that they should not give it to the kids or to granny.’
And some studies do suggest that raw-milk cheese is safe to eat.
Professor Mathew Upton, a professor of medical microbiology at the University of Plymouth told MailOnline: ‘I think that concerns over unpasteurised milk products are possibly exaggerated.
‘If not unwell and with a healthy immune system, the risks of infection from most unpasteurised products will be very low.’
He added: ‘As we’ve seen recently, there might be occasions, issues with processing plants or disease in livestock, where the risks increase for a short time.
‘These instances will lead to outbreak investigations and changes (e.g. product recalls and increased safety checks) to make products safe again.’
Professor Rees added: ‘In the past these cases are not caused by a failure in the fermentation — if this does occur, the cheese is normally sub-standard so doesn’t get to market).
‘But has occurred due to contamination of the surface of the cheese during maturation.’
She added: ‘Any food industry that involves cold rooms for storing product is at a risk from this bacterium.
‘So the Listeria issue is not unique to raw milk cheese — it’s also equally a problem for soft cheese made with pasteurised milk and cooked meats, and smoked fish, and cut fruit, and frozen vegetables. I could go on.
‘So, on this basis, why just ban raw milk cheese and not everything else that is stored at low temperature for any length of time.’
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