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HEALTH HAZARD ALERT

BOCCONCINI SOFT CHEESE MAY CONTAIN LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

OTTAWA, September 3, 2004 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Morra Cheese, are warning the public not to consume Bocconcini soft cheese because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The Bocconcini soft cheese, manufactured by Morra Cheese, was sold in unlabeled packages of various weights from the following retail stores between August 24, 2004 and September 2, 2004.

Morra Cheese, 11691 Warden Avenue, Gormley, Ontario.

Garden Basket, 9275 Highway 48, Markham, Ontario.

LadyYork Foods, 2939 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario.

Some Bocconcini soft cheese products sold at the above retailers may not have been manufactured by Morra Cheese. These cheeses are not affected by the recall. Consumers who may have purchased unlabelled Bocconcini soft cheese from these retailers during the affected time periods are requested to verify with their retailer if they have the affected product.

The manufacturer, Morra Cheese, Gormley, Ontario is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacterium can cause listeriosis. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, and nausea. Pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product manufactured by Morra Cheese.

The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:

Morra Cheese at 905-887-5459;

CFIA at 1-800-442-2342. 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time - Monday to Friday.

For information on receiving recalls by electronic mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.

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