UK Company Recalls Cheese Sold In USA

January 31, 2009

Cropwell Bishop Creamery Limited of England has recalled specific lot numbers and date codes of Blue Stilton and Shropshire Blue Cheese, because the cheese may contain Listeria monocytogenes.

The recall comes after earlier recalls announced by vendors of the cheese, both in the United States and Canada.

Cropwell has recalled the following products:

• Ilchester Shropshire Blue (12 oz): Lot #3052822700; Exp date, 2/10/09
  
• Ilchester Shropshire Blue (7 to 9 oz): Lot #3052828700; Exp date, 4/19/09
  
• Ilchester Shropshire Blue (1/8 lb): Lot #3052835200; Exp date, 4/27/09
  
• Ilchester Shropshire Blue (1/16 lb): Lot #3375821700; Exp date, julian code 8217
  
• Ilchester BabyBlue Stilton (2/5 lb): Lot #3375834000 and 3375829500; Exp date, julian codes 8340 and 8295
  
• Ilchester Blue Stilton (1/8 lb): Lot #3375828400; Exp date, julian code 8284
  
• Ilchester Blue Stilton  (2/9 lb): Lot #3375828400, 3375821700, 3375833300, 3375829400, 3375827800, 3375824500 and 3357816400; Exp date, julian codes 8284, 8217, 8333 , 8294, 8278, 8245 and 8164
  
• Ilchester Blue Stilton (1/9 lb): Lot #3375833600, 3375829400, 3375824500, 3758162000 and 3375825200; Exp date, julian codes 8336, 8294, 8245, 8162 and 8252
  
• Ilchester Blue Stilton (1/16 lb): Lot #3375825400; Exp date, julian code 8254
  
• Ilchester Blue Stilton (18/1 lb):  Lot #3052829500 and 3052830800; Exp dates, 4/19/09 and 5/2/09
  
• Ilchester Blue Silton (6/3.5 oz crock): Lot #2216832300; Exp date, 3/26/09
  
• Global Cheese Market Stilton (7 to 9 oz):  Lot #714568 and 714720; Exp dates, 3/22/09 and 3/29/09
  
• Global Cheese Market Stilton (1/5 lb): Lot #713939, 715973 and 716368; Exp dates 3/9/09, 5/3/09 and 5/17/09
  
• Trader Joe’s Blue Stilton: purchased on or before 12/31/08. Film-wrapped. 
  
• Trader Joe’s Shropshire Blue Cheese: purchased on or before 1/4/09. Film-wrapped. 
  
• Cropwell Bishop Creamery Blue Stilton: purchased on or before 12/31/08
  
• Cropwell Bishop Creamery Shropshire Blue Cheese: purchased on or before 12/31/08

The cheeses were sold in grocery stores and retail stores across the United States, including the following. Please use the live links to navigate to the store web sites for details.

• Costco Canada
  
• Kroger/Dillons
  
• Sam's Club
  
• ShopRite
  
• Trader Joe's
  

According to Cropwell, the decision to recall the cheese came as a result of "recent testing" that detected the potential for contamination. The first Canadian recall of Cropwell Blue Stilton was announced on December 10th, and affected cheese sold through Costco across Canada. UK authorities advised other countries in the European Union about the contamination on December 31, 2008.

Perhaps FDA was otherwise occupied with peanut butter, but it seems to have taken a very long time for this potentially contaminated cheese to be recalled from the US marketplace.