The Atlanta Corporation issued a recall on May 20, 2011 for its “Nazareth Classic” and “Nazareth Light” cheese products amid concerns regarding Listeria monocytogenes contamination. During routine testing by the Belgium manufacturer, it was discovered that the product revealed traces of Listeria in bulk packages.
Listeria is a type of bacterium that can cause serious illness in young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. If the infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions. In addition, Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths
The cheese is distributed to retail stores in bulk packages, with two loaves totaling an approximate weight of 6-7 pounds, and when sold to consumers, is sliced into random weights.
The product labels read Nazareth Classic and Nazareth Light “imported by Atlanta Corp. Affected lots are 5030008, 5030009, 11350044, 11350045, 11350046, 10840120 and are marked with expiration dates of 3/13/2011 through 7/29/2011.
To learn more about food poisoning outbreaks, please visit listeria.com, and foodpoisoning.com.
