Two people have died from eating raw cheese, and here’s what you need to know
You may have heard of listeria (as in, the highly dangerous bacterial infection), but you probably never thought it would be something you ever really had to worry about. However, two people have died after eating trendy cheese made from raw milk from a New York City seller.
When we say “trendy” cheese, we mean soft raw-milk cheese that’s often advertised as being good for the immune system and having nutritional benefits, but has not been pasteurized.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lab evidence shows that this particular creamery is the source of a listeria outbreak that made six people sick enough to be hospitalized in the last few months. “Six of six people interviewed reported eating various types of soft cheeses in the month before their illness started,” the report indicates. Among that group, two people from Connecticut and Vermont passed away.
An investigation is ongoing, and in the meantime, the CDC recommends that “consumers do not eat, restaurants do not serve, and retailers do not sell recalled soft raw milk cheeses made by Vulto Creamery.” The owner, Jos Vulto, practiced making cheese in his apartment for years before opening the creamery, and hasn’t yet commented on these incidents.
Basically, it goes without saying that we should all be very careful about consuming unpasteurized milk…there’s a simple, less risky solution to eating hipster cheese — and that’s eating the regular standard stuff (and it’s widely available and totally yummy!).
We’re super sad to report this has happened, and will use this as a reminder to always be conscious of what we put in our bodies — regardless of “trendy” it may seem!
