Media Release

For Immediate Release
Date: December 22, 2006

Soft-Cheese Alert
Two Kinds of Cheese Made With Unpasteurized Milk, Sold in RI

The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) is warning consumers not to eat certain soft cheeses, known as Portuguese or Brazilian Cheese, made by Julima, Inc. The cheese products may have “sell-by” dates of Dec.23 or Dec. 25. HEALTH is recalling these cheeses because they were made with unpasteurized milk. Unpasteurized milk may contain disease-causing agents that can cause severe illness and, in certain cases, death.

Two types of cheeses are involved in the recall:

Julima Cheese, Inc., Queijo Fresco, Sabor de Minas Farm Fresh Cheese, and
Manny’s Dairy Farm, Portuguese Fresh Cheese, Queijo Accoreano.

The products are found in hard plastic containers of various sizes including one (1) pound, two (2) pound and 12 ounce containers. They were sold in Portuguese and Brazilian stores and in certain Market Basket outlets in Eastern and Central Massachusetts and two (2) stores in Rhode Island.

The stores in Rhode Island are: Luzitania Bakery (312 Barton St., in Pawtucket), and Taunton Ave. Bakery, (208 Taunton Ave., East Providence).

Businesses and consumers who have purchased these products are advised to remove them from sale and discard the product. To date, no illnesses linked to these products have been reported to HEALTH.

If a person has consumed these cheeses and is experiencing any of the following symptoms: vomiting diarrhea, high fever, stiff neck, or intense headache they should contact their doctor.