LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Listeria Warning Issued for Mexican Cheese

After detecting a sample of contaminated cotija cheese made by a central California company, state inspectors are warning consumers not to eat any of Peluso Cheese Co.’s line of Mexican cheeses.

The Los Banos firm, which primarily supplies Bay Area stores, voluntarily recalled its products Friday after state inspectors found the listeria monocytogenes bacteria during routine sampling at the plant. The state Department of Food and Agriculture is advising consumers not to eat Don Francisco brand queso crema, queso chico, Penela and cotija cheese; Chontaleno de Freir brand whole-milk cheese, and Tomales Bay and Diana Supreme brands Teleme semisoft cheese. “If they have it at home, they should return it to stores or dispose of it,” said department spokesman Carl DeWing.

The bacteria can cause listeriosis, a serious and sometimes fatal infection that also may result in miscarriages or stillbirths. The infection is especially dangerous to small children, the elderly or people with weak immune systems. “Healthy people usually just get mild, flu-like symptoms,” DeWing said. He added that “there have been no known illnesses” as a result of the contamination.