SAN ANTONIO – A nationwide recall is currently underway for raw-milk cheeses produced by Vulto Creamery due to possible contamination with listeria. In the Northeast, two people died and six were hospitalized after becoming sickened by the bacteria.
In recent months, the FDA has issued several recalls linked to foods and listeria. And it goes beyond cheeses.
"Listeria has been found in ice cream, cookie dough, frozen vegetables and even frozen waffles," said Julia Calderone, Consumer Reports' health editor.
Not everyone exposed to listeria gets sick from it. But when you do, it can be serious. Most people with invasive listeriosis require hospitalization, and one in five who become infected die.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said four groups are most at risk: the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, newborns and pregnant women. Pregnant women are roughly 10 times more likely than the general population to be infected.
"There’s really no way to detect listeria ahead of time," Calderone said. "The best way to steer clear of it is to avoid certain types of foods like soft cheeses and unpasteurized dairy products, especially if you're in a high risk group."
If you are concerned about anything you ate, be on the lookout for symptoms such as diarrhea, muscle aches and fever.
"The symptoms can be really tricky, because they can either come on right way, or they can take up to a month to develop. So sometimes it’s really hard to pinpoint the source of the infection," Calderone said.
To keep on eye on food recalls, websites such as www.foodsafety.gov can help.
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