Cheese Recalled After Discovery of Bacteria

A Southern California company ordered a batch of its cheese removed from store shelves after federal investigators discovered a potentially deadly bacteria in samples of the product, state health authorities said Tuesday.

The Cacique Cheese Co. of the City of Industry voluntarily recalled the product, identified as Cacique Ranchero Cheese, which has a “sell by” date of Dec. 5, 1991.

The bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes, produces listeriosis, a sometimes fatal infection that may result in miscarriages or still births. Listeriosis can be dangerous to children, frail elderly people and those with weakened immune systems.

The cheese was targeted by local health officials making a routine follow-up investigation of cases of listeriosis in a mother, an infant and a male relative in Los Angeles County. They purchased several packages of the product and sent them to federal investigators for study.

The state said officials are investigating the Cacique plant to determine the source of the contamination.