California Burrata Cheese Recall Expanded

Fresca Italia, Inc. announced Monday that they are expanding their May 30, 2008, Burrata Cheese recall to now include all lot codes and expiration dates. The Burrata cheese, which is sold under the “Caseificio Voglie di Latte” brand, may be contaminated with a bacteria that could cause listeria inifection. The cheese was distributed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California.

The original recall only included products labeled with an expiration date of 24/5/2008. However, positive results for Listeria were found in other lots by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, leading to the recall of over 1,750 pounds.

The Caseificio Voglie di Latte Burrata cheese is packaged in a white and green plastic wrapper containing approximately 8.8 ounces. The recall now applies to the following lots:

• Lot Code 24/5/2008 (606 lbs.)
• Lot Code 31/5/2008 (661 lbs.)
• Lot Code 07/06/2008 (490 lbs.)

The organism which has been found in some of the cheese is Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause serious and potentially life threatening injuries. Symptoms of the food poisoning could include fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

While most health adults recover fully after a short-term illness, young children, elderly adults or those with a weakened immune system could suffer more serious injury. In addition, listeria infections can cause miscarriages or stillbirths for pregnant women.