This Cheese Is Being Recalled Across 12 States (So Far) for Listeria — Here’s Everything We Know

Ashia Aubourg
Ashia Aubourg
From the moment I started remixing ramen noodles into gourmet meals and spending hours watching cooking shows as a puny six-year-old, I knew I found a deep passion for food. While I realized — after taking on a two-year high school internship in an award-winning kitchen — that a…read more
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published Nov 7, 2024
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A cheese board with a wide variety of cheeses with grapes, jam, nuts, and serving utensils
Credit: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Jesse Szewczyk

If you plan on practicing some post-Election Day self-care this week by treating yourself to a homemade charcuterie board to decompress, you may want to rethink it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just announced the recall of soft-ripened cheeses from popular grocery stores across the country.

On November 2, 2024, Savencia Cheese USA, a national cheese producer and importer, announced a voluntary recall after tests revealed that processing equipment at its facility may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The statement revealed that certain Brie and camembert cheeses may be exposed to the bacteria. The cheeses were sold at Aldi, Market Basket, and other retailers. You can review the FDA’s official statement for more specifics on the best-buy dates, UPCs, and product photos.  

Savencia Cheese USA has not shared additional details about how their processing equipment potentially came in contact with Listeria monocytogenes, but the pesky bacteria has been tainting a lot of food across the nation lately. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the germ can spread through multiple channels, including contaminated food coming into contact with each other and unsanitary processing equipment. It can also continue to spread in cool environments like refrigerators, too. 

To date, no illnesses have been reported associated with this soft-ripened cheese. Still, to keep it that way, the FDA and Savencia Cheese USA recommend that people check their fridges immediately for potentially contaminated cheeses. If you spot it, refrain from eating it and return it to the store you purchased it from for a full refund.

You cannot smell, taste, or see Listeria monocytogenes, so even if that wedge of Brie looks delicious, it’s not worth the side effects of this bacteria. According to the CDC, Listeria monocytogenes may cause symptoms like fever, headache, stiff neck, fatigue, loss of balance, diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, and serious illness in pregnant women.

So, as you head into this weekend looking for ways to decompress, double-check that you’re not placing any potentially contaminated cheese on your charcuterie board. If you have any questions or concerns about this recall, you can contact Savencia Cheese USA at 800-322-2743 or through email at sc.customer.service@savencia.com.