Panera is pulling cream cheese from all its stores due to a listeria scare
If you enjoy grabbing breakfast at Panera Bread, you might want to listen up. Panera pulled its cream cheeses after listeria was found in one of its samples. While nobody has reported an illness yet, the company decided to play it safe and remove all of its 2 oz. and 8 oz. packages from stores in the United States. It’s also stopped manufacturing cream cheeses in the facility it was using prior to the announcement.
Listeria is a bacteria that can contaminate food. Eating food that’s been contaminated with listeria can cause a type of food poisoning called listeriosis, which gives those infected symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, and nausea. While it’s unpleasant for everyone, it’s especially dangerous for those who are pregnant — and it’s one of the main reasons why doctors recommend a restricted diet during pregnancy. According to WebMD, coming in contact with listeria may cause a miscarriage or stillbirth.
Panera recalled all of its cream cheeses that are set to expire on or before April 2nd of 2018.
In case you’re holding onto a product that may be affected, here’s what the recall includes:
- 2 oz. Cream Cheeses: Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Chive & Onion Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Honey Walnut Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Wild Blueberry Cream Cheese.
- 8 oz. Cream Cheeses: Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Chive & Onion Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Honey Walnut Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Wild Blueberry Cream Cheese.
"Only one variety of 2-oz cream cheese from a single day yielded the positive result," Blaine Hurst, Panera’s President and CEO, said in a statement that was posted on Panera's website. "Our intent is to go above and beyond for our guests. You should expect nothing less from Panera."
We’re glad that the company is playing it safe, and that nobody’s gotten sick so far. In the meantime, we’ll need to find a solid cream cheese replacement.
