No More Cheesemaking for Vulto Creamery After Deadly Listeria Outbreak
Late last week, a federal court ordered a dairy producer linked to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak to cease operations, at least until it can comply with food safety regulations.
Walton, NY-based Vulto Creamery and its owner—Johannes Vulto—were ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York to end its preparing, processing, manufacturing, packaging and holding of all its ready-to-eat, raw milk cheese products. The company first needs to align its processes with U.S. Food and Drug Administration food safety standards and rid its facility of Listeria monocytogenes contamination once and for all.
One year ago, Vulto Creamery’s products were to blame for a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that sickened at least eight people in four states, two of whom died. One illness was reported in a newborn.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared the outbreak over in May 2017. At that time, CDC urged consumers, restaurants and retailers not to eat or serve recalled raw milk cheeses made by Vulto Creamery.
Before the company can resume operations, the consent decree requires it, among other things, to retain an independent laboratory to collect and analyze environmental and finished samples for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, retain an independent expert and develop a program to control Listeria monocytogenes, and eliminate unsanitary conditions at its facility.
CDC's Final Outbreak Update on Vulto Creamery
FDA's Announcement About Court Order
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