Schreiber Foods recalls cheese on listeria concern

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Schreiber Foods Inc. on Monday issued a voluntary recall of some Colby Jack and Mexican blend cheese that may be contaminated with the listeria bacterium.

RECALL LIST List of cheeses recalled by Schreiber Foods, Inc.     LISTERIOSIS: Choose a link to learn more about the E. coli bacteria: What is it? Symptoms Associated foods Prevention Treatment People at risk Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention For more, launch our interactive guide to food poisoning.

The Green Bay, Wisconsin, company said it was issuing the voluntary recall after receiving notification that the cheese, manufactured by Hill & Valley Cheese Inc. of Cashton, Wisconsin, may be contaminated.

The company said it had received no complaints or reports of illness and that the recall was a result of testing by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.

The bacterium may cause serious or sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, the company said.

Healthy individuals could have 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 company said.

The cheese was distributed under 22 different brand names and packaged in chunk, cube, longhorn, loaf and shredded styles with expiration dates that ranged between November 14, 2000 and June 20, 2001, the company said.

Consumers were asked to either dispose of the cheese or return it to the retailer where purchased. The complete list of affected products was available by calling 1-800-637-8259 or at the Web site www.pressevent.com/cheese/recall.htm.

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