Costa Rican cheese products test positive for increased listeria; authorities initiate recall

On the 5th, the Costa Rican news website "diariocr" reported that the product found to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes is "MONTINO semi-hard cheese," with product batch number 021 and health registration number A-CR-16-07818. This risk was confirmed by the microbiological analysis results from the National Reference Center for Food Microbiology Safety at the Institute for Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health (CRIMA-INCIENSA) in Costa Rica. This contamination was discovered through a food safety control sampling survey conducted by the Ministry of Health in various supermarkets, which aimed to verify whether the products complied with the current "Technical Regulations for Microbiological Safety of Food in Central America." Currently, the authorities have coordinated with the producer and the National Animal Health Service to initiate the recall of the contaminated batches of the product. Additionally, the health authorities advise consumers to avoid purchasing ...