According to a company announcement shared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, Family Farmstead Dairy in Massachusetts announced on Thursday, October 15, the recall of a batch of raw milk cheddar cheese with an expiration date of July 22, 2027. This product has been distributed to stores in New York and New Jersey.
The reason for the recall, as stated by the company, is the potential contamination of this batch of products with E. coli bacteria.
The announcement further mentioned that this cheese has also been sold in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts and is being recalled. It may have also been distributed to other states through downstream distributors.
The company’s website shows that this dairy company based in Worcester distributes a variety of products to grocery stores such as Whole Foods Market and Fresh Direct across the United States.
This recall does not affect other products from Family Farmstead Dairy.
The issue arose from a sample in Maryland, where two strains of E. coli bacteria, producing toxins (also known as Shiga toxins), were isolated from two samples of the cheddar cheese.
As of Thursday’s announcement, the company had not received any reports of illness or allergic reactions related to the recalled cheese.
In the recall notice, Family Farmstead Dairy expressed their apologies for any inconvenience caused to their customers, retail partners, and consumers. The announcement added, “Product quality is of utmost importance to Family Farmstead Dairy. We are actively investigating the cause of the issue and taking all necessary corrective measures to ensure the safety and quality of our products.”
E. coli bacteria can cause diarrhea, sometimes bloody, but most healthy adults recover fully within a week. However, some individuals may develop Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which can lead to severe kidney damage, even death, and is most common in infants and elderly individuals.
(This article was referenced from a report by the New York Post)