Baronet is a semi-soft, pasteurized cheese with a pinkish-orange rind and a pungent aroma. A listeria outbreak has been linked to three cases, with one fatality.
The public has been warned to avoid Baronet semi-soft cheeses contaminated with bacteria after a listeria outbreak caused one death.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the warning on Friday following the discovery of “exceptionally high levels” of listeria in certain cheeses. There is no evidence that Baronet caused the outbreak.
The FSA, which ensures the safety of food, issued an alert on Monday stating that The Old Cheese Room was expanding its recall of Baronet, Baby Baronet, and Mini Baronet Soft Cheeses due to the discovery of listeria monocytogenes in some quantities.
These include pack quantities of 1 kilogram, 270 grams, and 200 grams, and expiration dates of March 21 and 22, and April 4, 10, 11, 12, 16, and 18.
According to the UKHSA, three cases of listeria have been attributed to an outbreak, and one person has died.
Baronet is a semi-soft, pasteurized cheese with a pinkish-orange rind and a pungent aroma.
The Old Cheese Room stated, “We will continue to work closely with our local environmental health officer and the Food Standards Agency.
As a responsible cheesemaker, we regularly clean, disinfect, and swab test our production and ripening facilities.
“Since the test that detected a trace of listeria monocytogenes in Baronet, we have altered our monthly testing protocol from negative release to positive release, which entails testing every batch of cheese before it is shipped.
So this has not affect any of our other cheeses.
The cheese is sold in tiny rounds and 1kg wheels, but it can be sliced at a deli counter. So customers may not realise they bought an infected product.
“Consumers are advised to contact the retailer from whom they purchased the cheese to determine if the Baronet cheese they have purchased is from the affected batches, and in the interim, not to consume the product,” the UKHSA said.
What are the listeria symptoms?
Listeriosis signs include fever, muscle pain, chills, nausea, and diarrhoea.
In uncommon instances, the infection may be more severe, resulting in life-threatening complications such as meningitis.
Tina Potter, FSA’s head of incidents, said, “Due to the outbreak of listeria monocytes linked to Baronet semi-soft cheese. We are urging consumers who are susceptible to listeria infection. Pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems should follow product recall notices, which list all potentially dangerous goods.
“We are also asking individuals to ensure that any elderly relatives who may have purchased the recalled products. And who are at a higher risk are aware of the recall and follow the advice.”
