Listeria-Contaminated Cheese Linked to Three Deaths

According to Food Safety News, cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes is being blamed for three deaths and 11 hospitalizations across the country.

The product in question, Ricotta Salata Frescolina, was sold by a Long Island-based company that imported it from Italy. It has since been recalled.

The tainted cheese was sold to distributors between June 20, 2012 and August 9, 2012 in the following states: California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

Listeria monocytogenes causes a bacterial infection in the body known as Listeriosis, a deadly illness that can have up to a 40% fatality rate, according to Food Safety News. Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with a weak immune system are more susceptible to developing a severe case of Listeriosis where hospitalization is required.

“Those infected with Listeria monocytogenes typically experience symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, nausea, and other stomach illnesses,” states Dr. Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., EMSL’s Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences. “EMSL Analytical is the nation’s leading food testing laboratory and provides quality testing services for pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, to help avoid food poisoning outbreaks.”

For more information about EMSL’s food testing division, please contact EMSL at 800-220-3675, info@EMSL.com , or visit www.EMSL.com or www.foodtestinglab.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical, Inc. is a full service testing company providing quality lab services under the same private ownership since 1981. Including the corporate lab facility in Cinnaminson, NJ, EMSL Analytical operates over thirty laboratories nationwide in the US and Canada. We provide analytical services for environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene, forensics and materials science, consumer products, food safety, PCR, pharmaceutical, asbestos, lead, and radiological samples. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations, as well as state and federal regulating bodies. Please see our website for a complete listing of accreditations. 

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical

(1) 1-800-220-3675

jfrasca@emsl.com