Recall: Whole Foods Cheese Linked to Illness, Death

Whole Foods Market Inc. is recalling a specialty cheese brand after an outbreak of a bacterial infection that has led to the death of at least one and sickened people in several states.

According to a report from the Associated Press, Whole Foods officials have acknowledged Crave Brothers Les Freres cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.

The products recalled are:

Les Freres (LF225 2/2.5#) with a make date of 7-1-13 or prior, packaged in white plastic with a green and gold label;

Petit Frere (PF88 8/8 oz) with a make date of 7-1-13 or prior, packaged in small round wooden boxes; and

Petit Frere with Truffles (PF88T 8/8 oz) with a make date of 7-1-13 or prior, packaged in small round wooden boxes.

The cheese has been sold in 30 states and Washington, D.C. under names including Les Freres and Crave Brothers Les Freres. The health food chain has announced it is posting signs in its stores to inform customers about the recall.

Minnesota officials say one elderly person in the state died and another was hospitalized after illnesses linked to the cheese. Public health officials in Illinois indicated one resident there became sick after eating contaminated cheese in May.

The recalled Crave Brothers Les Frères cheese was cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with Whole Foods Market scale labels.

In Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas the cheese wore the "Les Frères" label, along with the PLU number 299682.

In Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico and Utah, the cheese was labeled as "Crave Brothers Les Frères," also with the PLU number 299682.

Florida stores carried the cheese with the "Les Frères Wash Rind Product of USA" label, along with the PLU number 294473.

In Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey (stores in Marlton and Princeton only), Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Washington D.C., the cheese carried the "Crave Bros Les Frères" label and the PLU number 294473.

Stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin sold the cheese under the "Crave Brothers Les Frères Cheese by Pound" label and PLU number 294473.

In Oregon and Washington state,the cheese has been labeled as "Les Frères Crave Brothers," with the PLU number 294473.

Then, in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, the cheese carries the "Les Frères Crave Brothers PO-RK" label with PLU number 294473.

Whole Foods has announced anyone who has the cheese from the specialty market should discard it and may also take their receipt for the cheese one of the store's locations for full refund.

Those with additional questions about the cheese recall can call Whole Foods at 512-477-5566, ext. 20060, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. Otherwise, consumers may also directly contact the cheese producer, Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Company, at 920-478-4887, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.

Although healthy individuals exposed to the toxin may suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, the Listeria infection can cause much more severe symptoms, such as miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, and, as has been proved in some cases, death.