Health authorities have issued a warning after two people contracted listeriosis after eating Austrian soft cheese.
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) said that no cases had yet been reported in Austria. One person in Germany and one in the Czech Republic contracted listeriosis after eating cheese from a manufacturer in Tyrol.
The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK) has asked AGES to investigate the listeria outbreak.
Wilder Kaeser has initiated a product recall and notified the public.
The recall applies to all batches of Kleiner Stinker cheese up to February 24, 2025 and all batches of Großer Stinker cheese up to February 10, 2025. According to the recall notice, the analysis was conducted as part of internal quality assurance. revealed that Wilder Kaeser dairy products’ Kleiner Stinker and Grocer Stinker were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Company closures and Czech findings
AGES reported that the company has been shut down and commercial customers have been notified. The company’s products can no longer be marketed. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the products may still be available to individuals or the catering industry.
Due to the high level of Listeria contamination, the agency said it strongly recommends that affected products should not be consumed under any circumstances and should be discarded or returned to the retailer.
Health authorities in the Czech Republic have warned against consuming Grocer Stinker Weichkäse, which weighs 290 grams, is batch 4507, and has an expiry date of January 18, 2025. This cheese is produced by the Austrian company Wilder Kaeser and distributed in the Czech Republic. Republic by Tiroler Bauernstandl.
Based on a consumer complaint of illness after consuming “Großer Stinker Weichkäse mit Rotkultur” with a best before date of 25 December 2024 for batch 4205, an investigation was initiated in cooperation with the local authorities.
Although this batch was no longer available, samples of the same product from batch 4507 were taken for clinical testing.
Results revealed that all samples significantly exceeded the European limit of 100 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) for Listeria monocytogenes.
Czech officials said information about the dangerous products was shared with other EU member states through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).
About listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled, but it can still cause serious, even life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and develops symptoms of listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell the doctor about the possibility of listeria infection. It can also take up to 70 days for symptoms of listeriosis to develop after exposure to Listeria monocytogenes, so people who have eaten the recalled products should be on the lookout for symptoms in the coming weeks.
Symptoms of Listeria infection include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle pain, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Special laboratory tests are required to diagnose listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses.
Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and immunocompromised cancer patients are especially at increased risk of serious illness, life-threatening infections, and other complications. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature birth, infection of the newborn, and even stillbirth.
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