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Contact:
Denise Derrer
317-227-0308
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Indianapolis, IN -- July 1, 2004 -- Consumers should check their refrigerators and freezers for cheese that may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Sharp cheddar cheese, sold under the Meadow Valley Farm brand, may have been purchased since May 1, 2004 at farmers’ markets, specialty food stores or directly from a Parke County, IN farm. Investigators with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health’s Dairy Division (BOAH) are working to determine exactly how much and where the cheese was sold. Initial information indicates that product from a contaminated batch was distributed in and around Rockville, IN; Middlebury, IN and at least site in Wisconsin.
Consumers should not eat this product, but promptly dispose of it or return it to the place of purchase. No illnesses have been linked to this cheese.
The cheese can be identified by the round product label, which prominently states “Natural Raw Milk Cheese”. Also printed on the label are “Meadow Valley Farm” and “Made in Parke County” below a red barn. A small label on the back of the package notes a hand-printed lot number of “139”. The cheese was sold in blocks of approximately two-thirds of a pound to one-pound.
Routine product sampling by BOAH revealed the presence of the bacterium that can cause illness ranging from mild to severe. For most people, salmonella causes diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever. Blood or mucous may appear in the stool. The diarrhea and other symptoms usually begin 18-36 hours after exposure and may last 48 to 72 hours, but the person may carry salmonella in his body for weeks or months and be able to infect others.
Rarely, salmonella can get into the blood and infect organs such as the heart, lungs, and bones. Death from salmonella is rare. Children under five, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems, such as those with AIDS, are at the greatest risk for severe complications.
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