Panera Bread Recalls Cream Cheese Over Listeria Concerns

DETROIT (WWJ) - Panera Bread is voluntarily recalling some cream cheese sold in its U.S. stores because of possible bacterial contamination. The St. Louis-based company released a statement Sunday saying the recall was initiated after testing from a single production day indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in one variety of its 2 oz. cream cheese.

The company released a statement in which they describe the recall as "an abundance of caution."

The products included in the recall are all varieties (see below) of unexpired 2 oz. and 8 oz. cream cheese products with an expiration date on or before 4/2/18. This recall only affects cream cheese sold in Panera Bread United States bakery cafes and does not affect Panera Bread Canadian bakery cafes or any other Panera Bread food products.

Affected 8 oz. Cream Cheese Varieties (example pictured here): Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Chive & Onion Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Honey Walnut Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Wild Blueberry Cream Cheese.

Affected 2 oz. Cream Cheese Varieties (example pictured above): Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Chive & Onion Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Honey Walnut Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Wild Blueberry Cream Cheese.

Consumers in possession of these products should discard them immediately and contact Panera Bread Customer Service at 1-855-6-PANERA from Monday through Sunday, 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM. CST, or visit Panera.custhelp.com for a full refund.

According to the FDA, Listeria monocytogenes is an 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.