Brie cheese sold at Aldi, other stores recalled over listeria concerns

What to know about listeria

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Listeriosis is an infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Several different Brie cheeses sold across several U.S. states have been recalled over potential listeria concerns, U.S. health officials announced.

Savencia Cheese USA announced a voluntary recall on Saturday regarding six different kinds of soft ripened cheeses manufactured at the company’s Lena, Illinois, facility. The brand names include "Aldi, La Bonne Vie and others," a notice said.

A separate announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said routine testing identified that processing equipment at the site may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes – which can cause a foodborne bacterial illness.

Listeria infection can be deadly for older Americans, pregnant women and consumers with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis sufferers can experience symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, headache, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The FDA’s notice added that "finished product testing" did not find any contaminated product, but a voluntary recall was initiated for any potentially-affected cheeses at stores.

The cheeses had "limited regional distribution" in the U.S., according to the FDA.

Two of the recalled cheese labels are shown in provided images. (Credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

"The few retailers that received the product have been informed of this possible contamination and are in the process of removing products from shelves," the agency’s notice stated.

One of the impacted cheese products, called Emporium Selection Brie Soft Ripened Cheese, was sold at select Aldi stores in six states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri.

In a statement, Aldi said it "puts the safety and integrity of the products it sells first."

"If customers have products affected by this recall, they are advised to discard it immediately or return it to their local store for a full refund," the company added in a press release.

There had been no confirmed reports of health issues related to the recalled products as of Nov. 4, according to the FDA.