Fair Oaks Dairy Products, LLC today issued a voluntary recall of blue cheese produced under the Fair Oaks Royal Blue Cheese label and purchased on or after September 25, 2011 because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Fair Oaks, based in northwest Indiana, said that a small quantity of the cheese was sold at its Fair Oaks Dairy store in Northwest Indiana, central Indiana and to several other stores through distributers, on and after September 25. The product is in 1/3 to 1/2 lbs packages in a royal blue foil with the label “Fair Oaks Royal Blue Cheese.”
Fair Oaks discovered the issue during its own testing of its products by an independent laboratory. Laboratory testing has confirmed that the blue cheese contained Listeria monocytogenes. Fair Oaks has contacted the FDA and issued the recall to consumers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. No illnesses have been reported to date.