As of November 5, 2012, the Food and Drug Administration announced that Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese was issuing a voluntary recall for certain cheese products because several test samples tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.  No illnesses have been reported by the company at this time, but Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese is withdrawing the recalled products from marketplaces as a precautionary step.  The company is working along with the FDA and the Milk Safety Branch of the Kentucky Department of Health Services (KDHS).  

Recalled products by Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese:

•    8 oz, 5 lb, 10 lb, or 25 lb block, vacuum packed Colby, Colby Cheese
•    8 oz, 5 lb, 10 lb, or 25 lb block, vacuum packed Chipotle Colby, Flavored Colby Cheese
•    8 oz, 5 lb, 10 lb, or 25 lb block, vacuum packed Monterey Jack, Jack Cheese
•    8 oz, 5 lb, 10 lb, or 25 lb block, vacuum packed Mild Cheddar, Cheddar Cheese

The items have the following lot numbers in the order they appear above: 120724, 120711, 120719, and 120625.  The cheeses were distributed in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia and sold at distributors, restaurants, and farmer’s markets.

If you bought a recalled product, you can return the cheese to the place of purchase and receive a full refund.  The cheese should be quarantined before returned.  

Listeria monocytogenes is a dangerous bacteria that can cause serious and even fatal infections in young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems.  Healthy adults can still suffer from serious side effects like high fever, intense headache, nausea, stiffness, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.  Listeria can lead to miscarriages and stillbirths if a woman is pregnant.  

If you need more information, you can call 888-571-4029 or 270-434-4124 on Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CST or on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration