Listeria in red cheese, cottage cheese, etc. is a “classic”. Now, for the first time, scientists have clearly proven cases of listeriosis caused by vegan cheese products in several European countries. They reported their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Vegan cheese substitutes have been recommended as an alternative to raw milk cheese for people at risk of listeriosis infections – including pregnant women. We report an outbreak of listeriosis in France between April and December 2022, affecting four pregnant women who had preterm labor (at an average gestational age of 32 weeks) and the case of a 38-year-old individual with a compromised immune system who suffered from meningo- encephalitis (inflammation of… Brain and meninges; pay attention) became ill,” wrote Alexandre Leclercq of the Institut Pasteur in Paris and his co-authors a few days ago in the most respected medical journal in the world (DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2400665 ).
Several cases in Europe
After a warning from French authorities, further cases were discovered in Belgium (in a three-year-old child), in Germany (in a person with pregnancy-related sepsis) and in the Netherlands (meningitis in a baby after birth), the German Medical Journal also wrote . The scientists mapped the genetic makeup of the listeria that had caused the serious infections: the bacteria were virtually identical. When those affected were questioned, it turned out that they had consumed vegan cheese from the ‘Jay & Joy’ brand from a French manufacturer. In January 2023, the manufacturer recalled several variants of the “Jay & Joy” brand.
The recall affected a vegan foie gras substitute and brie or blue cheese substitutes. “These alternative semi-soft substitutes, made from raw almond, cashew or coconut milk, imitate other dairy products (e.g. camembert, goat cheese and blue cheese),” wrote the scientists involved in the investigation into the affair.
“No hygiene measures”
A possible problem according to the experts: “Such products are marketed as healthier, as cheese made from (animal) milk and as free from food pathogens because they are vegetable. But they are not subjected to hygiene measures such as pasteurization to control contamination in the raw material, during production or after production.”
Apparently, milks that come from plant sources are potentially good breeding grounds for listeria. In a comparative study cited by Marc Lecuit (Institut Pasteur/Paris) in the New England Journal of Medicine, listeria grew significantly faster in milk made from nuts than in cow’s milk (Food Microbiology 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2022.104143 ).
The physicochemical properties of these products (such as pH and water activity) would allow the growth of L. monocytogenes, Lecuit wrote. At least in the United States, vegan substitutes continue to be inappropriately promoted as safe alternatives to raw animal milk products. A salmonella infection was also detected. Manufacturers should also be aware of the risks of pathogens in vegan cheeses.
Listeria can cause life-threatening infections
Listeria is known to cause life-threatening invasive infections, especially in the elderly or those with weakened immune systems. Recently, the director of a now closed cheese factory in Wiener Neustadt was tried in criminal court for Listeria cases (five cases of murder by gross negligence and two cases of grievous bodily harm by gross negligence) and was sentenced to 13 months in prison.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
