Food-Safety Alert: Whole Foods Recalls Ricotta Cheese in 21 States, D.C.

WASHINGTONWhole Foods Market on Oct. 2 announced a recall of ricotta salata sold in 21 states and the District of Columbia out of concern that the cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled cheese, distributed by Forever Cheese, Inc., has been blamed for three deaths and 14 hospitalizations in the United States since September.

Whole Foods said the recalled Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand cheese was cut into wedges, packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with a Whole Foods Market scale label using PLU 293427.  All sell by" dates through Oct. 2 are affected. In California and Arizona, the recalled cheese also was sold with a Whole Foods Market scale label that read Mitica Ricotta Salada."

The recalled cheese was sold to a limited number of Whole Foods Market stores in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.