Peregrina Cheese Corporation Recalls Queso Fresco Because of Possible Health Risk

Peregrina Cheese Corporation of Brooklyn, New York, is recalling one code of its 14 ounce packages of Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese Mexican style soft cheese because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recall cheese was distributed to retail stores in New York City (Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan) and Pennsylvania (Scranton and Hazelton).

The Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese comes in a 14 ounce foil wrapped package marked with code 4483, UPC 8 17424 00024 6, and bearing Plant # 36-8431. The cheese was produced on 2/18/09.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

This recall is the result of sampling and analysis by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which revealed that finished product contained the bacteria.

Peregrina Cheese is contacting the customers today and instructing them to remove the product from sale and segregate it. The firm’s driver will visit the retail stores and pick up the recalled product as soon as possible.

This recall action is being conducted with the knowledge of the FDA.

Consumers who purchased the above listed product code are urged not to consume it and to discard it immediately. Please direct questions regarding this recall to Peregrina Cheese Corporation at 1-718-456-2391, Monday - Friday from 9 am – 4:30 pm EDT.