The Canadian Food Inspection Agency posted a recall of Oreinos Mylopotamos brand Cretan Dry Mizythra, a type of hard cheese, at the request of MFG Distribution Inc. The company cited possible Listeria contamination as the reason for the recall.
MFG Distribution Inc. distributed their Oreinos Mylopotamos brand hard cheese to unidentified stores located in Ontario and Quebec. No other details about how the possible contamination was discovered were included in the recall notice.
“The recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results,” according to the recall notice posted on the CFIA website. The agency is conducting an investigation and will post additional recalls as necessary.
“Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick,” the recall notice said.
Although no injuries or illnesses had been reported as of the April 2 recall, consumers are urged to discard the recalled cheese immediately or return it to the store of purchase. According to the recall notice, the recalled hard cheese has no identifiable “Best Before” date or UPC number, and “all codes” are subject to recall.
The recalled hard cheese was sold in “1.45 kg” packages and has the “Oreinos Mylopotamos” brand name printed on the front of the packaging.
Listeria infection can take up to 70 days for symptoms to develop. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems can develop serious and sometimes deadly infections from exposure to Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
Anyone who has eaten Cretan Dry Mizythra hard cheese and developed Listeria symptoms should seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure to the pathogen.