Pennsylvania officials warn against raw milk cheese contaminated with Listeria

Raw milk cheese from a Pennsylvania producer sold at an unknown number of retail locations is contaminated with Listeria. The producer is refusing to issue a recall. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture warns consumers to discard BeiHollow brand raw milk cheddar cheese.

The Department of Agriculture purchased two retail packages of BeiHollow brand cheese from Racoon Valley Farm in Millerstown, Perry County, as part of required testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Analysis revealed that the cheese product was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. 

The raw milk cheese was distributed by BeiHollow Farm in Elizabethville, Dauphin County. According to the Department of Agriculture, BeiHollow has refused to recall the products, provide a list of retailers that sell the cheese, or cooperate with an investigation to determine the source of the contamination. 

This is not the first time the Department of Agriculture has issued warnings for BeiHollow raw milk products. In 2022, it warned consumers to discard BeiHollow brand raw whole milk and chocolate milk due to Listeria contamination. 

The Department of Agriculture is unaware of any reported illnesses but advises anyone who consumed the cheese to consult their physicians if they experience symptoms. 

Earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture warned that raw milk sold by a Lancaster County farm was found to be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

Because raw dairy products are not pasteurized, they are known to carry bacteria and viruses. State and federal public health officials warn against drinking raw milk or eating products made from it. Federal law bans the sale of raw milk across state lines.

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still cause severe and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated cheese and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about possible Listeria exposure.

Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because symptoms of listeriosis can develop up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. 

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications, and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

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