Crave Brothers Petit Frère photo by Adam Ryan Morris
Wisconsin cheese producer Crave Brothers issued a voluntary recall of three cheeses that have been linked to a possible listeria outbreak. The recalled cheeses are Les Frères, Petit Frère and Petit Frère with Truffles.
The outbreak might have killed one person and sickened four others, the FDA says. One of the cases involved a pregnant woman who suffered a miscarriage. Incidents occurred in Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
Listeria most often affects pregnant women, older adults, newborns and people with compromised immune systems. The U.S. Center for Disease Control reports 1,651 cases from 2009-2011 with a fatality rate of 21 percent. Of the 12 reported outbreaks, five were linked to soft cheeses.
For its part, Crave Brothers stopped production on the cheese immediately and issued the recall. “We are cooperating with the regulatory agencies’ ongoing investigation of the cause of the potential health risks,” said George Crave, president, in a statement.
We included the Petit Frère in our May 2013 Food Lover’s Guide, which was printed and on newsstands before the cases were diagnosed.
