Listeria Fears Prompt Cheese Recall From Deerfield Whole Foods

DEERFIELD, IL — A cheese sold at the Deerfield Whole Foods Market has been recalled because of possible Listeria contamination. The recall covers Explorateur Triple Creme French Cheese with "sell by" dates between Feb. 15 and April 3. It includes cheese cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold in branded 8-ounce packages, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the cheese, and the agency said Whole Foods is voluntarily recalling the cheese out of an abundance of caution. The issue was discovered when a distributor notified Whole Foods of a positive test result for Listeria monocytogenes.

The bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal health problems for the young, the old and those with weakened immune systems. The FDA said healthy people sometimes only experience short-term symptoms, and infections can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

L'Explorateur is a soft, triple creme cow's milk cheese produced in the Île-de-France since 1950 and matured for three weeks. The Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club, which described it as the "creamiest and most luxurious of all French cheeses," noted that the name is an homage to the first U.S. satellite Explorer One.

Customers who bought the cheese at the Deerfield Whole Foods at 760 Waukegan Rd. can get a full refund with a valid receipt. Those with further questions were asked to call 844-936-8255 during business hours.

Cheese sold at nine Whole Foods stores in six states was affected by the recall, according to the FDA.