E.coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Norovirus, Botulism, Shigella, or Campylobacter might be lurking in your meat, fruit, and vegetables. These bacteria and viruses could prove deadly, especially for children, older adults, and persons with compromised immune systems. And you thought a trip to the grocery was safe? How about your favorite restaurant? Americas Watchdog will bite into your food problem.

Estrella Family Creamery of Montesano, Washington, is recalling another cheese for potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.  This time it is Old Apple Tree Tomme cheese said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Old Apple Tree Tomme cheese was sold at the Ballard and Seattle’s U-District farmer’s markets in Seattle and the firm’s farm store in Montesano, Washington during the weekend of February 27 and 28, 2010. The affected cheese was custom order with the name on the label but not a lot code.

No illnesses have been reported with this product or any other Estrella cheeses. The recall resulted from sampling by the Washington Department of Agriculture, which discovered that one finished wheel of cheese contained the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

The FDA is advising consumers who have any of the recalled products to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions can contact the company at 1-360-249-between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time.

Recently, Estrella Family Creamery recalled its Brewleggio, Domino, and Wynoochee River Blue cheeses because of possible Listeria contamination. Those products were sold to restaurants and cheese shops in Washington, Oregon, and New Jersey.

Earlier, the company pulled its Red Darla cheese for the same reason. That cheese was sold from January 2010 through February 11, 2010 at the Ballard and Seattle’s U-District farmers markets, two Seattle restaurants, Seattle-Tacoma area retail stores, and the company’s retail store in Montesano, Washington. The recalled Red Darla product was also sold at a retail market in San Francisco and a cheese shop in Springfield, New Jersey.

The Red Darla cheese recall was expanded to include Domino Cheese that also tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Brewleggio and Wynoochee River Blue cheeses are added to the call back because they were aged in the same place as the Domino cheese.

Listeriosis, the food borne disease caused by the Listeria pathogen, is dangerous and can often be deadly, causing serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals can suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely to get infected with about one-third of all cases occurring during pregnancy. Listeriosis can kill fetuses, prompt premature births, lead to hearing loss or brain damage in newborns and neurological problems and cardio respiratory failure in adults.