Georgia Department of Ag Press Release - Morningland Dairy of Mountain View, Missouri, is recalling 68,957 pounds of cheese because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and also has the potential to be contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus.

Morningland Dairy’s raw milk cheese is sold in the lower 48 states via mail order, retail stores, crop-sharing associations and direct delivery. The cheese is packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic packages that are sold as random weight size retail packages.

The specific varieties of cheese are sold under the following brand names and flavors:

Morningland Dairy Raw Milk Cheese (from cow milk): Colby, Hot Pepper Colby, Garlic Colby, Italian Colby, Dill Colby, No-Salt Added Mild Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, Medium Sharp Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar.

Ozark Hill Farms Raw Goat Milk Cheese: Colby, Hot Pepper Colby, Italian Colby, Garlic ‘N’ Chive Colby, Mild Cheddar, Medium Sharp Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar.

The codes affected by the recall are handwritten on the front of the label, and range from A10 (representing January 1, 2010) through F250 (representing June 25, 2010).

The recall is a result of regulatory sampling in California. Morningland Dairy has suspended the production and distribution of all cheese as it and the Food and Drug Administration and the Missouri Milk Board investigate the cause of the problem.

Customers who have purchased any of the recalled cheese should not eat it. The company is asking customers to contact it for instructions by calling 417-469-3817 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m., by fax at 417-469-5086 or by e-mail at morningland@centurytel.net. Customers can also check the company website at www.morninglanddairy.com.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially serious disease. The most common manifestation of listeriosis is meningitis, which has symptoms of high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections to infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems such as persons with chronic diseases or taking chemotherapy for cancer.

“Our sanitarians will be looking for this recalled cheese as part of their routine inspections throughout the state. If found for sale, the cheese will be placed on ‘withhold from sale’ for pickup by the distributor,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin.