Pennsylvania officials warn about 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 manufacturer refuses to issue a recall.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is warning consumers to throw away 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 showed that the cheese product was contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.

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

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

The Ministry of Agriculture is not aware of any reported illnesses, but advises anyone who has consumed the cheese to consult their doctor if they experience symptoms.

Earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture warned that raw milk sold from 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 prohibits the sale of raw milk across state lines.

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell putrid, but it can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the affected cheeses and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about possible Listeria exposure.

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

Symptoms of a Listeria infection may include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headaches, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are needed to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other diseases.

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

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