Georgia Department of Agriculture Finds Listeria in Ricotta Cheese
Georgia Department of Agriculture food scientists have found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of Ricotta Salata cheese. The contamination was found in a package marked SELL BY 01/21/08. The brand name of the cheese is Locatelli and the importer is The Ambriola Company, Inc., of Jersey City, New Jersey 07305. The cheese is imported from Italy.
"We have notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of today’s lab findings, and we are warning the public about the contamination," said Commissioner Irvin. "We discovered this contamination as part of our sampling program. Sampling food products on a regular basis with a scientific protocol is a very important part of the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s efforts to ensure food safety."
The incubation period for Listeria can be as long as 70 days. That means it can take up to 70 days after consumption of a food contaminated with Listeria for the infected person to have symptoms of a Listeria infection (listeriosis). Symptoms of listeriosis can include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.