Goot Essa Cheese Recall (From September) – “Der Mutterschaf” Sold In 4 States
Folks this is late news, but there was a recall issued for Goot Essa cheese. It was originally released back in September and affects 60+ pounds of one product – “Der Mutterschaf” sold in retail outlets and restaurants, for potential listeria contamination.
It affects cheese sold in New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Montana via seven outlets. No illnesses have been reported from what I can find in the reporting, and according to a company statement (below) the recall at retail partners was “executed quickly and effectively”. But just in case you might still have any in the fridge, this is what to know:
Goot Essa LLC, of Howard in Centre County, on Sept. 19 recalled batch 33 of its Goot Essa brand Der Mutterschaf Cheese after testing found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample from the batch.
The possibly-contaminated sheep’s milk cheese was distributed to seven customers in New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and Montana. The cheese was then distributed through retail stores and restaurants.
The affected products come in 4 ounce and 8 ounce clear plastic packages. The 4-ounce packages have a universal product code (UPC) of 810154560189, while the 8-ounce packages have a UPC of 810154560196.
All of the affected cheese is marked with lot number 33 on a sticker on the back.
Listeria is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infection in children or frail/elderly people, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Healthy people who ingest Listeria monocytogenes often experience short-term symptoms, including fevers, headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
More on listeria from the FDA. Customers who purchased should return cheese to the place of purchase; Goot Essa can be reached for questions at 1-800-490-4387 Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. As noted above, this is limited to Der Mutterschaf cheese with lot number 33 sticker on the packaging in the four and eight ounce packages.
Goot Essa is a great company from all I’ve seen, and I have enjoyed their cheeses in the past. Full disclosure: they have been an advertiser here before, and I visited their facility in an Amish community in central PA a couple of years ago.
Goot Essa also made this statement about the recall:
Goot Essa told Newsweek: “At Goot Essa, the safety and well-being of our customers is always our highest priority. As part of our ongoing commitment to rigorous food safety standards, we use advanced testing technology. During this enhanced testing process, we identified a potential concern in a small batch (62 pounds) of our Der Mutterschaf cheese.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we immediately notified the FDA and voluntarily issued a recall. The affected product had been distributed to only seven retail partners, all of whom were promptly contacted and they successfully removed the product from their shelves. No illnesses have been reported, and the recall was executed quickly and effectively.
“We are proud to have such a sophisticated food safety system in place – one that worked exactly as it should to detect and address a potential issue early. While a recall is something no one looks forward to, we see this as a reflection of a well-functioning food safety program and our ongoing commitment in protecting the health of our customers.
“For our customers: anyone who may have purchased the recalled Der Mutterschaf cheese is encouraged to check the lot information provided. If your cheese was affected, please dispose of it and contact us for a full refund. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions about this matter, don’t hesitate to give us a call. (800) 490-4387
“To prevent recurrence: we will conduct a thorough review of our sanitation and monitoring processes and continue to strengthen our preventive controls, including the ongoing use of testing protocols. These steps ensure that our artisan cheesemaking remains not only exceptional in quality but exemplary in safety.
“We take this matter very seriously, and remain dedicated to transparency and continuous improvement in everything we do.”
This can happen with food companies, and it is caught because they have regular testing in place (a much larger recall happened earlier this year with an Ohio company). So this is something to be aware of, but in any case I plan to continue to enjoy Goot Essa’s cheeses. In fact I just ordered some of my favorites for the Thanksgiving season.
Goot Essa Cheese Recall
Oh, goodness. I had no idea this lovely little company used sheep’s milk. Just goes to show how little I know. Lol. But do they have a website?? How do I go about ordering from them?? Can’t wait to try this for myself. Glad nobody got sick. Thanks for letting us know, Erik.
Yes you can find them online, they have outside help that assists in operating their internet presence. It’s a nice website and easy to place an order. The site is gootessacheese.com
As far as sheep’s cheese, I like the Butta Schaaf, a “Pecorino” style cheese; it has a specific and powerful tangy taste (John the owner would be able to describe it much better than I can 🙂 ).
And there are a lot of choices for a variety of palates, including some cheddars and soft cheeses – mainly from cow milk, but also a selection from goat and sheep milk. Their gift baskets are also a nice idea this time of year.