FDA Recalls Contaminated Cheese

SAN FRANCISCO —  Health officials have recalled more than a ton of Greenbank Farms raw-milk cheese, which they said was contaminated with a potentially life-threatening bacteria.

Food and Drug Administration officials said the recall of Greenbank Farms sharp cheddar cheese distributed in California and Washington has been given the department’s highest priority because of the life-threatening potential of the bacteria, listeria monocytogenes.

Emil Corwin, a spokesman for the FDA, said high-risk groups include pregnant women, their fetuses, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems.

He said no illness has been reported from the bacteria, which caused 39 deaths in Southern California in 1985.

Local Sales Unknown

When reached Saturday, Southern California FDA officials did not know if any of the contaminated cheese was being sold in local stores.

The Greenbank Farms cheddar is sold in 7- to 12-ounce packages and in 5- and 10-pound containers. The FDA said the contaminated cheese carries the code numbers 170-7, 173-7, 177-7, 180-7, 181-7, 182-7 and 183-7.

The recall apparently started more than a month ago through distributors and stores but was announced to consumers Friday by the FDA. The cheese is distributed in the San Francisco Bay Area by Rock Island Foods of Santa Cruz and Novato, but a spokeswoman at the firm declined to identify stores that sell the product.