The Kane County Health Department is advising residents about the recall of multiple Sargento cheese products, some of which were found to be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

MDS Foods Inc., of Massillon, OH, is recalling several products supplied by Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC of Middlebury, IN.

The affected retail products are Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby, 6.84 oz., UPC 4610000228, with “Sell By” dates of “12APR17B” and “10MAY17B” and Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Nacho & Taco Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040041, with “Sell By” dates of “H14JUN17” and “H12JUL17.”

These products were packaged at the Sargento Plymouth, WI, facility.

Out of an abundance of caution, Sargento is also recalling the following products because they were packaged on the same line as the affected cheese:

• Sargento Sliced Colby-Jack Cheese, 12 oz., UPC 4610000109 with “Sell By” date of “11JUN17B”
• Sargento Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese, 12 oz., UPC 4610000108 with “Sell By” dates of “12JUN17B”, “09JUL17B” and “10JUL17B”
• Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Taco Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040002 with “Sell By” dates of “H14JUN17”, “F28JUN17” and “D28JUN17”
• Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Colby-Jack Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040014 with “Sell By” date of “F05JUL17”
• Sargento Off The Block Shredded Fine Cut Cheddar Jack Cheese, 8 oz., UPC 4610040076 with “Sell By” date of “F05JUL17”

No other Sargento branded products are affected by this recall.

Consumers can check if their product is affected by the recall by visiting info.sargento.com and using the “Product Check” tool. This webpage will be updated with the latest information about the recall. Consumers can also call Sargento Consumer Affairs at 1-800-243-3737 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Central Time), or submit questions to the “Contact Us” page at sargento.com.

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only 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.

Affected and potentially affected products were distributed by MDS Foods Inc. under multiple brand labels and distributed nationwide. A list and photographs of affected products are available by visiting the FDA Recall website here. More information also is available by visiting the MDS Foods website here.

Customers who have purchased any of the cheese products in the affected recall are urged not to consume it and to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact MDS Foods Customer Service: 330-879-9780, Ext. 105 , from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.

“Our unwavering commitment to safety is at the core of everything we do at Sargento,” a company official said. “We are vigilantly monitoring this issue to ensure the situation is resolved in a timely manner, and are working in full cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration to rigorously investigate this issue.”

SOURCE: Kane County Health Department and Food & Drug Administration news releases