Multiple cheeses are being recalled over fears that they could cause death or miscarriage.

The FDA issued a recall alert for 64lbs of ‘Der Mutterschaf’ cheese after the product was found to be laced with the harmful bacteria listeria.

This is a Class 1 recall, which is the most severe category, indicating a ‘reasonable probability of… serious adverse health consequences or death’ due to consuming the affected food products.

The cheeses, packaged in sizes between 4oz and 8oz, were distributed in seven stores located across four states: New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Montana. These products have been available on store shelves in the past month.

Customers are advised to throw out the affected cheeses, made by Amish company Goot Essa LLC, or return them to sellers for a full refund. 

No illnesses linked to the cheeses have been reported to date.

The FDA announced that the recall was activated following routine testing, which revealed the presence of listeria in one batch of these sheep’s milk cheeses.

Similar tests on other cheeses sold by the company, which are aged in a cave for three to four months, did not detect the bacteria.

Shown above is a 4oz Der Mutterschaf cheese that is in the recall. The cheeses were made by Goot Essa, an Amish-owned company in Pennsylvania

Each year, listeria infects approximately 1,250 people in the United States, according to estimates. It is a serious concern, with around 1,000 individuals hospitalized and roughly 170 fatalities recorded annually.

Listeriosis is the disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a harmful bacterial infection resulting from eating contaminated food.

This bacterium is commonly found in moist environments, soil, water, decomposing vegetation, and animals. It has the ability to survive refrigeration and other methods of food preservation.

Many foods can harbor the bug, but it is usually found in unpasteurized milk, soft cheeses and ready-to-eat foods, such as pre-packed sandwiches. Cooked shellfish, cured meats and fish, including sushi and pre-cut fruit, are also a risk.

It is a particularly serious infection among children under five and older adults, who have weaker immune systems and are less able to fight off the infection.

It is also serious for pregnant women, with a listeria infection raising the risk of them suffering from a stillbirth or miscarriage.

The recalled cheeses are from Batch 33, with the 4oz cheese having the UPC code, found beneath the barcode, of 810154560189, while the 8oz cheeses have the UPC code of 810154560196.

It is not known how the cheeses became contaminated, as they had been pasteurized, a process that involves quickly heating and then cooling a food product to kill harmful bacteria.

The company says online that the cheeses were aged in a cave before being sold to customers (stock image)

The above image is a representation of listeria, a potentially deadly food bug (stock image)

But listeria thrives in cold and damp locations, and it is possible that the bacteria got onto machinery, which then spread it to the cheeses.

Translated from Pennsylvania Dutch, the name of the cheese means ‘the mother sheep cheese’ with Groot Essa saying online that it was aged in a cave for three to four months before being sold. 

Patients infected with listeria suffer from a fever, diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting that may clear within a few days.

But in serious cases, the bacteria can spread into the blood and cause sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection.

An infection with listeria is normally treated with antibiotics.

It comes two weeks after the FDA issued a recall of cheese products sold nationwide over fears that they could be contaminated with bacteria from rodents.

Five cheeses sold at Wegmans were in the recall, which was revealed amid concerns the foods could also be contaminated with listeria.

The recall included the following products: Wegmans Medium Camembert Soft Ripened Cheese, 8.8 oz; Wegmans Assorted Cheese Flight, 1 lb; Wegmans Grilling Camembert with Tapenade & Roasted Tomatoes, 10 oz; and Wegmans Caramel Apple Pecan Topped Brie Cheese, 13 oz.

Affected products, supplied by Georgia-based Estancia Holdings, were pulled from stores after the company was notified by their French supplier that three shipments they received may be contaminated with listeria.

Recalled items were sold in the cheese department at all Wegmans stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington DC. They were sold between July 1 and August 12, 2025.