Popular Shredded Cheese Recall

Lidl shoppers have been urged check their homes for its own-brand Simply Grated Cheddar that has been flagged in an urgent recall. Plastic pieces were discovered present in the product, making it potentially unsafe for consumption. The U.K.’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued the alert on Nov. 23. According to the product details, this is a 500g bag of Simply Grated Cheddar with a “best if used by” date of Dec. 23, 2022. Lidl will fully refund consumers who have returned the affected products. The food’s risk statement states, “This product may contain small pieces of plastic which makes it unsafe to eat.” Those Lidl stores that sold the recalled product displayed a point of sale notice informing customers why the product was being recalled and what to do if they purchased it.

The FSA advises, “If you have bought the above product, do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund. Any customers with queries or concerns can contact Lidl Customer Services on 0800 444 1234 or customer.services@lidl.co.uk” The Food Standards Agency issues recalls of food, and alerts are usually posted on social media to notify consumers of what has been withdrawn from sale.

That announcement follows an updated recall in the U.S. for various brie and camembert soft cheese products sold in New Hampshire amid concerns over a rise in listeria infections across the country. On Nov. 4, 2022, the list was expanded to include retail establishments that received recalled bulk Brie and Camembert cheese from Old Europe Cheese, Inc. Old Europe Cheese, Inc. manufactured the cheeses, which were sold at Shaw’s stores in Belmont, Center Conway, Concord, Derry, Littleton, Merrimack, Milford, and North Hampton, officials said. Other states, including Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island, also sold the cheeses. The recall affects various flavors and labels of Baked Brie Products, with “best by” dates ranging from Sept. 28 to Dec. 14.

According to the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a multistate outbreak of listeria infections linked to recalled cheeses. Several states, including Massachusetts, have reported illnesses, but New Hampshire has not. Pregnant women and their newborns are at high risk of catching Listeria, as are older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Other people can get infected with Listeria but rarely become seriously ill. In pregnancy, Listeria infection usually causes only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. But it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infections in newborns. Aside from fever and muscle aches, people who are not pregnant may suffer from headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.