Food recall

Whole Foods Market recall: Frescolina and Mitica brand Ricotta Salata cheeses were cut into wedges

Whole Foods Market, of Austin, TX, recalled Frescolina and Mitica brand Ricotta Salata cheeses were cut into wedges. The FDA's reason: “Whole Foods Market announces that it is recalling ricotta salata sold in 21 states and Washington, D.C. that came from its supplier Forever Cheese Inc. of Long Island City, NY. Forever Cheese...” The FDA classified it Class I: it could cause serious harm or death. The company began the recall voluntarily on September 11, 2012, and the FDA first listed it in its Enforcement Report of October 24, 2012. The FDA has closed the recall: it found the company did all it reasonably could to remove or correct the product.

How serious

Class I

It could cause serious harm or death

Why

Listeria

Status

Terminated

Closed September 19, 2013

The recall

Company
Whole Foods Market (Austin, TX)
Reason, in FDA's words
“Whole Foods Market announces that it is recalling ricotta salata sold in 21 states and Washington, D.C. that came from its supplier Forever Cheese Inc. of Long Island City, NY. Forever Cheese recalled this cheese product because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail”
Where it was sold
Nationwide to 21 states
Recall began
, by the company
FDA classified it
First in an FDA Enforcement Report
FDA event number
63184

The product recalled

As the FDA describes them, with the codes that tell whether a package is part of the recall.

  • F-0110-2013 Class I

    Frescolina and Mitica brand Ricotta Salata cheeses were cut into wedges, packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with a Whole Foods Market scale label using PLU 293427 and PLU 294413, respectively. All "sell by" dates through Oct. 2 are affected.

    Codes: Frescolina Ricotta Salata PLU 293427. Mitica Ricotta Salata PLU 294413. All with Sell by dates Oct 2, 2012.

    Quantity: Approximately 2500 lbs

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Source and notes

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Enforcement Reports (openFDA food recall data) (Public domain (U.S. government work); source U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA), data as of October 24, 2012.

Each week the FDA lists the recalls it has classified in its Enforcement Report, often weeks after the company announced the recall, so a month with five weekly reports tends to count more. Each recall counts once, however many products it covers, in the month FDA first listed it. Class I means the food could cause serious harm or death, Class II temporary or minor harm, and Class III is unlikely to harm anyone. Meat, poultry and most egg products are recalled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, not the FDA, and aren't included. For what to do with a recalled product, see the FDA's recalls page.