Dairy products manufacturer Mainland has recalled several cheese lines nationally, after concerns they may have come into contact with the bacteria listeria.
The company said the precautionary recall affects:
* Mainland 125g processed cheese (chives, smoked, smoky ham and cracked pepper) best before Oct 2 or Nov 2;
* Mainland 200g Gruyere
and 200g Havarti coded 11001-11031;
* Galaxy 300g Edam, 300g Gouda, 250g Gruyere, 200g Aria and 250g Creamy Havarti coded 11001-11031.
Mainland said customers should discard any of the above products and ring 0508 624 652 for replacement vouchers.
Last month, New Zealand Dairy Foods recalled 35,000 litres of Anchor milk products, fearing they may have contained listeria.
Subsequent testing showed the products did not contain harmful listeria. The listeria found in initial testing was a non-pathogenic form that existed naturally in the environment and posed no risk to consumers.
Listeriosis, the disease which can result from eating listeria-contaminated food, has flu-like symptoms, such as fever and chills. Sometimes people have an upset stomach.
If the infection spreads to the nervous system, it can cause a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. In some cases, the disease can be fatal.
Pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of becoming ill from easting food containing listeria.
A pregnant woman's illness can be transmitted to the foetus through the placenta, leading to miscarriage, stillbirth, or serious health problems for the child.
It may take up to 8 weeks for symptoms of listeriosis to appear, but the disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
- NZPA, Herald staff
