Saputo Inc. Recalls Certain Gouda Cheese Products Due to Potential Contamination of Listeria Monocytogenes

Saputo Inc. (Saputo), is voluntarily recalling certain Gouda cheese products in the United States after having been notified by Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC of Middlebury, Indiana that some specialty Gouda cheese products that it supplied to Saputo’s Green Bay, Wisconsin facility may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

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.

The affected retail products are the Great Midwest® Applewood Smoked Gouda cheeses listed in the table below. As a precautionary measure, Saputo is also recalling the Dutchmark® Smoked Gouda cheeses listed in the table below, which were packaged on the same line. Consumers should not consume the recalled products.

No illnesses due to consumption of these products have been reported. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

The recalled products were sold to retailers nationwide. The Great Midwest Applewood® Smoked Gouda cheeses were sold primarily in retail stores at deli counters and deli cases. Saputo is working with impacted customers to ensure that the recalled products are removed from the marketplace. Consumers who have purchased any of the recalled products identified in the table above with the specified sell by date are urged to dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. No other Saputo products are affected by this recall.

This recall is being initiated with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information, consumers with questions may contact Saputo at 1-877-578-1510 between 9 am and 9 pm EST, Monday – Friday.

About Saputo

Saputo produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products of the utmost quality, including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products and dairy ingredients. Saputo is one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, the largest cheese manufacturer and the leading fluid milk and cream processor in Canada, the third largest dairy processor in Argentina, and the fourth largest in Australia. In the US, Saputo ranks among the top three cheese producers and is one of the largest producers of extended shelf-life and cultured dairy products. Our products are sold in several countries under well-known brand names such as Saputo, Alexis de Portneuf, Armstrong, COON, Cracker Barrel*, Dairyland, DairyStar, Friendship Dairies, Frigo Cheese Heads, La Paulina, Milk2Go/Lait’s Go, Neilson, Nutrilait, Scotsburn*, Stella, Sungold, Treasure Cave and Woolwich Dairy. Saputo Inc. is a publicly traded company and its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “SAP”.

*Trademark used under licence.

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* We believe that none of the products being recalled were processed or offered through the Feeding America national office.  

For full details on the recall, including photos of the recalled product, please visit this FDA web page.