Soft Cheeses Sold At Aldi And Others Recalled Over Listeria Concerns

Cheese lovers, beware. Several soft cheeses sold at Aldi and other brands have been recalled due to concerns over potential listeria contamination. The products affected by the voluntary recall are soft cheeses (brie and Camembert) produced by Savencia Cheese USA and sold under the brands Aldi, La Bonne Vie, Supreme Oval, Industrial, and Market Basket. You can find a full list of impacted products and their UPC codes on the Food and Drug Administration website. The recalled products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which are bacteria that can cause listeriosis, a usually mild infection that can be severe in those with compromised immune systems, older adults, pregnant individuals, and children. 

Symptoms of listeria infection include fever, nausea, headache, and general stiffness. Listeriosis is uncommon but can cause severe and life-threatening symptoms. As of now, the latest recall isn't linked to any known illnesses.

This recall is the latest in what seems to be an increasingly common pattern. Earlier this year, Boar's Head deli meat was recalled for listeria contamination. Even more recently, food items such as frozen waffles were recalled over listeria concerns along with about 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products, also recalled for listeria contamination. Additionally, Costco has recalled its smoked salmon for potential listeria contamination. 

This seemingly steady stream of recalls has proven to be incredibly disruptive to consumers, who have lost trust in the nation's food safety standards. According to a September Gallup poll, there has been a decrease in those who had trust in the nation's food safety standards.  The newest recall certainly does nothing to help with this slip in confidence. 

As for the latest recall, retailers who may have the affected products in stock have been made aware of the situation and will remove the products from shelves as soon as possible. Consumers who have any of the affected products should discard them or return them to the store where they bought them for a full refund, even if they've already eaten some of the contents.