Whole Foods recalls cheese over risk of listeria or e. coli

Whole Foods joined a cheese recall today, pulling seven types of cheddar cheese over the risk of listeria or E. coli.

The cheeses -- Sage Cheddar, Silver Mountain Cheddar, Chipotle Cheddar, Premium Block Cheddar, Premium White Chunk Cheddar, Chipotle Chunk Cheddar and White Black Wax Cheddar -- were sold in its stores in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona.

Packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with a “Distributed by Whole Foods Market” sticker, they are part of a factorywide recall announced by Bravo Farms.

Last week that artisan cheesemaker, which specializes in raw milk cheese, pulled all of its shipments after California officials found listeria at its plant in Traver, Calif. At the beginning of this month, Bravo Farms recalled its Dutch Style Gouda in a multi-state outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7.

The gouda was part of a traveling cheese roadshow in about 50 Costco warehouses in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. Another cheese in the roadshow -- Mauri Gorgonzola which was distributed by DPI Specialty Foods in Tualatin -- was also recalled after Colorado health officials found E. coli 0157:H7 in a sample. The bacteria can be fatal or cause severe symptoms.

Since mid-October, 38 people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico have been sickened in the E. coli outbreak linked to the gouda. The outbreak includes 15 hospitalizations and one case of kidney failure. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the gorgonzola and no one’s been reported sick in Oregon.