Unmarked Cheese Poses Salmonella Threat
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is warning consumers in Garden City, Kansas to be wary of unmarked soft white cheese. During an inspection at Panaderia Real in Garden City, officials discovered that cheese made by Guadalupe Valadez may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Valadez does not have a license to manufacture food, but has been selling the cheese to friends and neighbors as well as two stores: Panaderia Real and Panaderia Alexis. Valadez reports that her home-based operation has only been manufacturing the cheese for about a month. Inspectors destroyed the cheese, which was coincidentally unpasteurized, and encourage any customers who may have bought it to through it away.
According to the Kansas Department of Agriculture,
The cheese was sold in hand-formed balls and disc shapes that were wrapped in plastic. The packages had no identifying marks to indicate where the cheese was made.
Consuming food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.
