Flat Creek Farm & Dairy of Swainsboro, GA, has recalled 200 pounds of Heavenly Blue cheese because of potential Salmonella enteritidis contamination. As of 11 a.m., Nov. 27, 2013, all purchasers had been notified and more than 90 percent of the product was collected or destroyed, according to Flat Creek.
When it was announced, no illnesses were associated with the recall.
Heavenly Blue is distributed in certain parts of Alabama, Georgia and Florida, and there were three online orders, which have all been notified. The product is packed in clear plastic and ranges in size from half a pound to whole wheels. The recall is specific to product marked with the lot code 130912XHB, which can be found on the front of the package.
The recall was the result of a routine sampling program conducted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which revealed that the finished products were contaminated. The company has identified the source of the problem and has eliminated it from future batches.
The recalled product is potentially contaminated with Salmonella enteritidis, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Long-term complications can include severe arthritis.
