Jarlsberg Cheese Has Been Recalled

More than 28,000 pounds of Jarlsberg cheese was voluntarily recalled from stores in nine states, including Washington and Idaho, because of possible contamination, the product’s distributor announced Saturday.

The pre-cut wedges may be tainted with listeria monocyctogenes, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in small children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems, the Auburn-based Peterson Company said in a news release.

“As far as we know, no illnesses have been reported to date but we felt it was imperative to withdraw the product as soon as possible,” said company president George Lyden in a telephone interview Saturday.

Healthy individuals may only suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

The one to two pound packages of cheese were distributed in Washington, Oregon, Utah, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Montana and Guam through Price Costco and Cost-U-Less Warehouse Club Stores, the release said.

The cheese was also sold at six other retail outlets in Washington and Oregon.

The company advises customers to return wedges that have sell dates between Oct. 7, 1996, and Nov. 31, 1996. Full refunds will be made.