Whole Foods Market® Announces Recall of Morningland Dairy and Ozark Hills Farm Cheese

Date of Recall

2010-09-02

Recall Details

-- September 2, 2010 - (Cambridge, Massachusetts) - The following press release was issued by Whole Foods Market's North Atlantic Region regarding the voluntary recall of Morningland Dairy of Mountain View, Missouri, Raw Goat Milk Mild Cheddar Cheese.

Whole Foods Market's North Atlantic region is announcing a voluntary recall Morningland Dairy and Ozark Hills Farm Raw Goat Milk Mild Cheddar Cheese due to possible contamination by Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

These cheeses were sold in three Whole Foods Market stores: West Hartford Center and Glastonbury, Connecticut; and Hadley, Massachusetts. The cheese is packaged in plastic labeled with a Whole Foods scale label and sold as random weight size retail packages in the cheese department.

Customers who have purchased these products from Whole Foods Market may return them to the store for a full refund. Signage has also been posted in stores to notify customers.

This recall was issued as a result of contamination found during a routine regulatory sampling. The FDA, the Missouri Milk Board and Morningland Dairy are investigating the source of the contamination.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes 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. Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria that usually causes rapid food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, retching, abdominal cramping and prostration. In more severe cases, headache, muscle cramping and transient changes in blood pressure and pulse may occur.

About Whole Foods Market®:
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com , NASDAQ: WFMI), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America's first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named "America's Healthiest Grocery Store" by Health magazine. The company's motto, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet"™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company's more than 55,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in America by FORTUNE magazine for 13 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2009, the company had sales of $8 billion and currently has more than 280 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

No comments have been posted.
Be the first to add a comment!