Ricotta Salata Recall

This post is to address concerns regarding the recall of Ricotta Salata that the coop purchases from Forever Cheese.

When we learned of the recall of Ricotta Salata due to a possible Lysteria contamination through the FDA's email alerts, the first thing we did was to pull all product from the shelf. Following that  I put a sign on the cheese case itself instructing people to destroy all product that they might have on hand and return to the Coop for a full refund.

By researching invoices and checking delivery lots with Forever Cheese's warehouse we were able to determine the dates we received the possibly tainted product. Unfortunately some product went out of rotation. Although we received the product on August 6th, there was still one wheel left in the store. I believe (and there is no real way to verify this) that that one wheel was the only one that was out of rotation and the Ricotta Salata that we sold in the store for the previous 4 weeks was from a different source.

We got the word out immediately on Twitter and I addressed some of our followers' concerns directly. I was mistaken in saying that everyone was probably fine. The incubation period on Lysteria can be up to 70 days. However, I believe that none of the Ricotta Salata from the possibly tainted lot was sold in the Coop from August 20th to September 10th.

On the day we learned of the recall we determined who had purchased RIcotta Salata in the 5 weeks the Coop may have sold the possibly contaminated lot and made a list of those names and phone numbers. A script was made to communicate the seriousness of this matter and all people on the list were called that day. Those we were unable to reach by phone were send an email with the same information. Those without email were sent a letter in the mail.

In cooperation,

Yuri Weber
Cheese and Fine Foods Buyer