Sargento cheese expands listeria recall, ends relationship with supplier

One of the largest cheesemakers in the U.S. is expanding its recall of several products over fears of listeria contamination.

Sargento Foods Inc. added Sliced Colby, Muenster and Pepper Jack cheeses to its list of recalled products due to “potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes that originated from the supplier’s facility,” according to information on the company’s website. The recall was expanded on Feb. 17.

The cheesemaker has also ended its relationship with Deutsch Kase Haus, the supplier of the potentially contaminated cheese, the company said in a statement.

On Feb. 10, the company recalled packages of its Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby and Chef Blends Shredded Nacho & Taco cheeses over fears of contamination.

So far, there have been no confirmed cases from the illness, a company official said.

The cheesemaker set up an information website for consumers to check the sell-by dates and UPC bar codes of the affected products.

Listeriosis is a serious infection that's usually caused by eating contaminated food and can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women and older people. Symptoms include fever and muscle aches and sometimes diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Approximately 1,600 cases are reported in the United States every year, with 260 resulting in death, according to the CDC.