BROOKLYN, NY— The U.S. Food and Drug Administration elevated a recall of cream cheese products made by Made Fresh Salads to its most serious classification after the products showed potential contamination with Listeria.
The agency announced that the cream cheese items could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause severe illness.
The company first issued the recall Feb. 20. The FDA later upgraded the action to a Class I recall, the agency’s most urgent designation.
A Class I recall means “there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death,” the FDA said in its notice.
Health officials said Listeria infections can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
The recalled products are packaged in 5-pound white plastic tubs labeled with the Made Fresh Salads brand name.
Distributors delivered the products to retail stores and distributors in several New York City areas, including Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx.
The FDA urged retailers and distributors that received the affected products to stop selling them and follow recall instructions. Officials advised consumers and businesses to avoid using the recalled cream cheese if they possess it.