November 26, 2007
If youre not careful, Santa might bring you a bad case of food poisoning in your food gift basket this year.
Le Gourmet Connection, based in Tennessee, has recalled its Jack Cheese, Lot. No. 539, sold in 10-ounce blocks between August 28 and November 19. The cheese may be tainted with Listeria monocytongenes, a bacteria that may can fatal infections in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
Seven- and 15-ounce, and five-pound blocks from the same lot were used in holiday gift baskets sold in 48 states, but so far no advisory has been made for those products.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture reported finding the bacteria during routine sampling of packaged products. So far, theres no report of any illnesses and no word on the source of the contamination.
Le Gourmet Connection packages the cheese but does not produce any of it at its own facilities, instead buying it from a variety of producers.
Company officials said consumers should immediately discard Le Gourmet Connection Jack Cheese.
