Product recallFSA
The Cambridge Food cheeses recalled over Listeria
The Cambridge Food Company Ltd (trading as Cheese +) is recalling several of its cheeses because they might contain Listeria monocytogenes. This issue only affects products sold at the food businesses listed in this notice.
Point-of-sale notice published with the recall
Check your product
Only products that match these details are covered. Have your pack in front of you.
Alpen cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Appleby Red Cheshire cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Kirkhams Lancashire cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Lincolnshire Poacher cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Mayfield cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Montgomery cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Ogleshield cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Old Roan Wensleydale cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Old Winchester cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Pitchfork Cheddar cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Quickies Mature cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Rachel cheese 1.25kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Ashcombe cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Shropshire Blue cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Sparkenhoe cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Spenwood cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
T & T Stilton cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Westcombe cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Young Buck cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Beauvale cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Bybrook cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Cornish Kern cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Cropwell Bishop cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Dorset Blue Vinny cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Duckett’s Caerphilly cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
Hafod cheese 1kg and any cut pieces
- Affected
- All dates up to and including 14 April 2023
What to do now
Listeria is the reason The Cambridge Food cheeses has been recalled. It is one of the few food bacteria that keeps multiplying inside a cold fridge, so a pack that looks and smells fine is not a safe pack.
- Keep it out of the meal plan altogether. Cooking at home is not the remedy the recall asks for.
- Clean the fridge shelf, containers and boards it touched with hot soapy water. Listeria can survive on cold surfaces after the food has gone.
- Return it to the shop where you bought it, where you should get your money back, or bin it.
- Check the freezer and cupboards for other packs with the same details, including anything you have decanted or portioned.
Why it matters. Listeriosis can take a long time to show itself, sometimes weeks after eating. In pregnancy it can harm the baby even when the mother only feels mildly unwell, which is why the FSA treats any Listeria finding in ready-to-eat food as a reason to clear the shelves.
Symptoms and when to get help
Look out for
- a high temperature
- aches and pains
- chills
- feeling or being sick
- diarrhoea
Get help urgently
- you are pregnant and have eaten the product, even if you feel well — speak to your midwife, GP or NHS 111
- a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, confusion or a severe headache — call 999 or go to A&E
- a newborn baby who is unwell, floppy or not feeding
This is general information based on NHS public guidance, not medical advice. In an emergency call 999. For urgent advice use NHS 111 (NHS 24 on 111 in Scotland) or, in Northern Ireland, your GP or out-of-hours service.
Getting your money back
Recalled food can be returned to the shop it came from for a full refund. Supermarkets and most independent shops do this without a receipt, because the recall applies to the product, not to your purchase.
If you bought it online or on a delivery, contact the retailer through your account or customer services and tell them the product is under an FSA recall.
From the official notice
Published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA-PRIN-10-2023). Quoted as issued.
Summary
The Cambridge Food Company Ltd (trading as Cheese +) is recalling several of its cheeses because they might contain Listeria monocytogenes. This issue only affects products sold at the food businesses listed in this notice.
The risk
The products listed above might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
Symptoms caused by this organism can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.
Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems.
Action taken
The Cambridge Food Company Ltd are recalling the above products. Point of sale notices will be displayed where the products were sold. These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. Please see the attached notice.
Advice to consumers
If you have bought any of the above products do not eat them. Instead, contact The Cambridge Food Company Ltd for a full refund. For further information contact The Cambridge Food Company Ltd at Mark@cheese-plus.co.uk
Open the FSA notice
Questions
Why has The Cambridge Food cheeses been recalled?
Listeria is the reason The Cambridge Food cheeses has been recalled. It is one of the few food bacteria that keeps multiplying inside a cold fridge, so a pack that looks and smells fine is not a safe pack. Listeriosis can take a long time to show itself, sometimes weeks after eating. In pregnancy it can harm the baby even when the mother only feels mildly unwell, which is why the FSA treats any Listeria finding in ready-to-eat food as a reason to clear the shelves.
How do I know if my product is affected?
The notice describes the affected product rather than listing codes. Compare the product name, pack size and where you bought it with the official notice.
What should I do now?
Keep it out of the meal plan altogether. Cooking at home is not the remedy the recall asks for. Clean the fridge shelf, containers and boards it touched with hot soapy water. Listeria can survive on cold surfaces after the food has gone.
Can I get a refund?
Recalled food can be returned to the shop it came from for a full refund. Supermarkets and most independent shops do this without a receipt, because the recall applies to the product, not to your purchase. If you bought it online or on a delivery, contact the retailer through your account or customer services and tell them the product is under an FSA recall.
I have already eaten some. What now?
Most people who eat food with Listeria do not become ill. Keep an eye out for flu-like symptoms over the coming weeks. If you are pregnant, over 65 or have a weakened immune system, tell your GP, midwife or NHS 111 that you ate a recalled product, even if you feel fine.
