Great Value Cottage Cheese Recalled After Pasteurization Failure
Walmart shoppers in 24 states need to check their refrigerators. Great Value cottage cheese is being pulled from shelves after Saputo Cheese USA Inc. discovered their pasteurizer wasn't working properly.
The company found the problem during routine testing with California food safety officials. The pasteurizer failed. That means the cottage cheese sold during that time might contain harmful bacteria that should have been killed during pasteurization but weren't.
The Products
Great Value cottage cheese with white tubs with white lids are included in the recall. They were sold between February 17 and February 20 at Walmart stores across states including:
Alaska
Alabama
Arkansas
Arizona
California
Colorado
Georgia
Iowa
Idaho
Illinois
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Missouri
Mississippi
Montana
New Mexico
Nevada
Oregon
Texas
Tennessee
Utah
Washington
Wyoming
If you bought cottage cheese from Walmart during those four days, throw it out.
What Could Happen
Nobody's gotten sick yet. But improperly pasteurized dairy can cause serious illness, especially in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
Pasteurization exists to kill dangerous bacteria. When it doesn't work, those bacteria survive. Eating them can make you very sick.
The Equipment Is Fixed
California officials worked with Saputo to fix the pasteurizer. It's been repaired, verified, and sealed. No other products from the facility were affected.
But the cottage cheese made while the equipment was failing already shipped out and is already on shelves or in people's homes.
What to Do
Check when you bought your Great Value cottage cheese. If it was between February 17 and February 20 from a Walmart in one of those 24 states, don't eat it. Return it or toss it.
The recall happened because of a routine pasteurizer troubleshooting exercise. The kind of thing that's supposed to catch problems before people get sick. In this case, it worked. The problem was found. The equipment was fixed. The recall was issued. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop products from being sent out that could pose a threat.
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