By: Andrea Castillo
Guatemala’s Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance issued a recommendation not to consume cheeses potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. These products are Brie and Camebert cheeses manufactured by Old Europe Cheese, Inc. in Benton Harbor, United States, with an expiration date of 12/14/2022, which have already been voluntarily withdrawn from the Guatemalan market by the owner.
In case of having acquired the previous ones, the recommendation of the Ministry of Health is not to ingest them and to discard them, in addition, a reminder is made to perform adequate cleaning and disinfection of all surfaces that have been in contact with avoid cross-contamination.
This recommendation arises from the announcement issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 30, 2022, where it is mentioned that this bacterium can cause serious or fatal infections in children, elderly people, or people with weakened immune systems; in pregnant women, it can cause miscarriages and in healthy people, it can cause high fevers, diarrhea, nausea, and other symptoms in the short term.
Additionally, in case of any doubt or notification, it is recommended to contact the Ministry of Health of Guatemala through:
1. The Department of Food Regulation and Control:
a. vigilanciadrca@mspas.gob.gt
b. 2231-2910
2. The Department of Epidemiology:
a. infoepidemiologia@mspas.gob.gt.
b. 2445-4040
To view the complete alert issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the detail of all the products mentioned you can visit the link: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/old-europe-cheese-inc-issues-voluntary-recall-its-brie-and-camembert-cheeses-due-possible-health