HARRISBURG, Pa. — Consumers of a certain cheese brand have been urged to immediately throw the product away.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has urged customers to toss out BeiHollow Farm brand raw milk cheddar cheese, aged 60 days.
Routine testing for pathogens in two retail packages purchased by the department confirmed the cheese was contaminated with listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
The cheese was distributed by BeiHollow Farm, located at 314 Chubb Road in Elizabethville, Dauphin County. The contaminated cheese was sold at Racoon Valley Farm in Millerstown, Perry County.
Other locations where the product was sold are unknown.
To date, the producer has reportedly refused to recall products, provide a list of retail outlets selling the cheese or cooperate with state food safety inspectors' investigation to determine the extent of the contamination.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an illness that has symptoms including fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea. Listeriosis mainly affects pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and adults with impaired immune systems. Listeriosis in pregnant women can result in miscarriage, premature delivery, serious infection of the newborn, or stillbirth.
No reported illnesses have been attributed to the product. Anyone who consumed the cheese should consult their physicians if they become ill.
