Sargento Shredded And Sliced Cheese Recalled Due To Listeria Risk

DETROIT (WWJ) - Multiple varieties of Sargento sliced and shredded cheese have been recalled due to possible bacterial contamination.

Sargento Foods Inc. says it was notified by Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC, based in Indiana, that cheese they supplied to Sargento must be recalled due to a potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes — which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.

Symptoms can include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

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, Wis. 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"

[View more photos of the recalled products]

Sargento noted that no illnesses have been reported in connection with the products.

"Our unwavering commitment to safety is at the core of everything we do at Sargento," the company said, in a statement. "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."

Consumers can check if their product is affected by the recall by visiting info.sargento.com and using the "Product Check" tool. The webpage will be updated with the latest information about the recall. Consumers can also call Sargento Consumer Affairs at 1-800-243-3737.

This recall is connected to a seperate recall by Meijer — which also uses supplier Deutsch Kase Haus — of Meijer Brand cheese sold at Meijer deli counters. [Get details on the Meijer recall here].