Ohio Ag Connection - Recall Expands; Sargento Ends Deutsch Kase Haus Relationship

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Recall Expands; Sargento Ends Deutsch Kase Haus Relationship
Ohio Ag Connection - 02/20/2017

Sargento Foods Inc. of Plymouth, Wis. is voluntarily expanding the recall of cheese supplied by Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC of Middlebury, Ind., due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes that originated from the supplier's facility. There have been no confirmed illnesses.

Out of concern for the health and well-being of Sargento consumers, the company has also terminated its relationship with Deutsch Kase Haus, which supplied Sargento with the affected Longhorn Colby cheese.

Out of an abundance of caution, in addition to the products recalled on February 10, 2017, Sargeto is also voluntarily recalling the following products which were packaged on the same lines:

Sargento Sliced Colby, 8 oz., UPC 4610000105, Sell By date 15MAY17F

Sargento Sliced Muenster, 8oz., UPC 4610000107, Sell By dates 05MAR17F, 06MAR17F, 16APR17F, 17APR17F and 15APR17F

Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack, 7.5 oz., UPC 4610000122, Sell By date 03MAY17B

Sargento Sliced Tomato & Basil Jack, 6.67 oz., UPC 4610000279, Sell By date 03MAR17B

Sargento Shredded Reduced Fat Colby-Jack, 8 oz., UPC 4610041018, Sell By date H07APR17

Sargento Shredded Chef Blends 4 Cheese Pizzeria, 8 oz., UPC 4610041105, Sell By date H10APR17

Sargento Artisan Blends Double Cheddar Shredded Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040094, Sell By date H09JUN17 and H08JUN17

We are also adding "Sell By" dates to some of the products that were previously recalled on February 10, 2017:

Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby, 6.84 oz., UPC 4610000228, Sell By dates 02FEB17F, 01MAR17B and 16MAR17F

Sargento Chefs Blend Taco Blend Shredded Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040002, Sell By dates H11MAY17 and H01JUN17

Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack, 12oz., UPC 4610000108, Sell By dates 11JUN17B, 02MAY17B and 03MAY17B

Sargento Sliced Colby-Jack, 12oz., UPC 4610000109, Sell By date 01MAY17B

Sargento Off the Block Fine Cut Colby-Jack Shredded Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040014, Sell By date H06MAY17

Sargento Chef Blends Nacho & Taco Shredded Cheese, 8oz., UPC 4610040041, Sell By dates H04MAY17, S15MAY17 and H01JUN17

Sargento Off the Block Fine Cut Cheddar Jack Shredded Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040076, Sell By dates H09MAY17, H08MAY17 and H07MAY17

Consumers can also check if they have recalled product by visiting info.sargento.com. This webpage will be updated with the latest information about the Feb. 10 recall and this voluntary expanded recall. Consumers can also call Sargento Consumer Affairs at 1-800-243-3737 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Central Time), or submit questions to the "Contact Us" page at sargento.com.

"We deeply regret any inconvenience or concern this issue has caused," Sargento Foods Chief Executive Officer Louie Gentine said. "We have high expectations for the quality and safety of our products and hold our suppliers accountable to those same standards. We will continue to evaluate our processes to ensure we remain a leader in food safety and quality."

Sargento is just the latest company to expand its recall.

Saputo Inc. is also recalling certain Gouda cheese supplied by Deutsch Kase Haus to Saputo's Green Bay, Wis., facility because it may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Saputo produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products of the utmost quality, including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products and dairy ingredients. Saputo is one of the top 10 dairy processors in the world, the largest cheese manufacturer and the leading fluid milk and cream processor in Canada, the third largest dairy processor in Argentina, and the fourth largest in Australia. In the U.S., Saputo ranks among the top three cheese producers and is one of the largest producers of extended shelf-life and cultured dairy products. Saputo Inc. is a publicly traded company and its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Meijer also expanded its list of recalled items to now include its Meijer brand Artisan Made Natural Muenster Cheese and its pre-wrapped Ham Sub on Artisan White Baguette due to a potential cross contamination 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.

Meijer received notice of a possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination from MDS Foods, a Meijer supplier. MDS Foods informed Meijer that evidence of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination had been identified due to possible cross contamination after being processed on the same line as previous recalled cheese, announced on February 10.

Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 230 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Meijer is a privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934.

Meanwhile, Guggisberg Cheese Inc., Millersburg, Ohio, is recalling various types of Colby cheeses and sizes due to the potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes. The affected products were manufactured both by Guggisberg Cheese, Inc. and by Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC under the Guggisberg label. No illnesses have been reported to date.

The products were manufactured between September 1, 2016 and January 27, 2017. These products were packaged in clear plastic and sold primarily in retail stores at deli counters and deli cases located in the states of: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois, and West Virginia.

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