Whole Foods recalls cheese over Listeria fears

NEW YORK (KABC) -- Whole Foods Market Inc. announced Friday that it is recalling Crave Brothers Les Freres cheese because it may contain dangerous Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

The recalled cheese was sold at Whole Foods stores in 30 states and Washington, D.C. The cheese was covered in plastic wrap with the Whole Foods Market scale labels.

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday linked a multi-state Listeria outbreak to the cheese.

According to the FDA, five people in the Midwest became sick as a result of the outbreak, and one elderly person died after contracting the illness in June. Officials say a pregnant woman is believed to have suffered a miscarriage as a result of contracting the disease.

Crave Brothers, which is based in Waterloo, Wis., announced a voluntary recall of Les Freres, Petit Frere, and Petit Frere with Truffles cheese made on July 1 or earlier. It said the cheeses were distributed nationwide through retail and food service outlets and mail orders.

Symptoms of Listeria infection include fever, chills, severe headache and vomiting.

Whole Foods says customers who bought the cheese should throw it away and bring in their receipts for a refund.

ABC News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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