Health Law

The cheese industry's black eye gets darker: Gorgonzola cheese also contaminated by E. coli O157:H7

By Drew Falkenstein

Colorado health departments are apparently at it again, this time detecting E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in Mauri brand Gorgonzola cheese sold by Costco stores in the state.  DPI Specialty Foods of Tualatin, Oregon has recalled the potentially contaminated lot of gorgonzola with sell by dates of 01/31/11 and 01/14/11.  DPI cut, packaged and distributed the cheese to Costco stores.  The recalled cheese is packaged in clear plastic in approximately 1-pound wedges.

The current recall, which is different from the recall and E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to Bravo Farms gouda cheese, occurred because a Colorado state laboratory isolated E. coli O157:H7 from a sample of the cheese at Costco.  The lab was at work testing cheeses in the context of the Bravo Farms E. coli outbreak. 

There is no report of illnesses being linked to the Mauri cheese E. coli recall, but its very likely that recalled cheese is still in consumer homes.  The recalled cheese has a sell-by date that expires in January 2011. 

Question: do we know the full extent of the current problem?  DPI apparently didn't make the recalled cheese.  Thus, unless the contamination occurred after production--e.g. by DPI during further processing or distribution--there may be other contaminated cheese from the same producer.  Who is the producer?

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on November 11, 2010 (boomark / email).