Product recall campaigns have multiplied in recent days. After Buitoni pizzas, Kinder chocolates, raw milk cheeses from a Lactalis group cheese dairy are subject to a recall measure. These are Coulommiers and 1 kg Bries from the Normanville brand and the Graindorge brand. They are likely to contain Listeria monocytogenes (causative agent of listeriosis).
These raw milk cheeses carry a greater risk of catching bacteria such as Salmonella, E.coli, or Listeria, according to an expert report published this Friday, April 8 by the National Food Safety Agency, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), requested in 2019 by the Directorate General for Food to identify and prioritize the main bacterial hazards associated with these different types of cheese as well as other dairy products made from milk believed.
What cheeses are we talking about?
These cheeses in particular are often implicated in the epidemics of Listeria, Salmonella or E.coli, in France, because the animals which produce them, such as cows and goats, “can be carriers of these bacteria”, explains to L ‘Express Céline Druet, deputy director of risk assessment at ANSES, who wanted to “prioritize the cheeses most at risk”.
The results of this research indicate that the main sources of these dangers are contained in “soft cheeses with a bloomy rind” such as camembert, brie or crottin. “Short ripening” uncooked pressed cheeses are also concerned, such as Morbier, Reblochon or even Saint-Nectaire, as are “soft, washed-rind cheeses”, such as Munster or maroilles.
Cheeses such as Gruyère or Comté, with cooked pressed paste, are not involved in these dangers, specifies the National Agency. This does not mean that the other categories of cheese cannot be a source of risk.
What diseases can these cheeses cause?
Different bacteria cause different diseases, more or less serious, in humans. Salmonella spp. (Salmonella) or Staphylococcus aureus (staphylococcus aureus) will cause “gastroenteritis-like” symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. They “can evolve, after about a week, towards a severe form of the infection in about 10% of children”, indicates the Ministry of Health, and in particular cause kidney failure. On the other hand, the EHEC bacterium, or E.coli, can have much more serious consequences such as kidney failure, even death, just like the bacterium L. monocytogenes (Listeria), alarm ANSES.
The risks also depend on the person, some are more at risk such as pregnant women, immunocompromised people, those over 65 and young children. “In absolute terms, anyone can fall ill, but the consequences are more serious in these people at risk”, underlines Céline Druet.
Which links in the chain can be improved?
The National Health Agency does not point to a manager. She even notes that in the first link, that of breeding, “good practices are well known in the sectors” and that “the efforts [sont] already well underway in terms of milking hygiene and management of mastitis”. They “must be continued”. “When we observe the presence of bacteria in the animal, in the udders, ‘there is a risk, and it is already managed as best as possible,’ assures the deputy director of risk assessment.
“Same observation” with regard to the production chain where “the levels of risk control are also very high”. ANSES then recommends “continuing to apply good hygiene practices and carrying out self-checks to best anticipate any risk of an epidemic”. “We have observed for several years a strong involvement of the various raw milk cheese sectors in the prevention of microbiological risks. Thanks to the actions implemented, the levels of hygiene and risk control are now very high within farms. The self-checks implemented at the processing stage make it possible to identify a large number of problematic batches”, explains Laurent Guillier, expertise coordinator at ANSES in the press release.
The weakest link is actually that of the consumer. Without wanting to “hit the consumer”, specifies Céline Druet, the Agency emphasizes the vigilance that consumers must have in relation to these products, in particular by respecting the indications on the packaging concerning the expiry date and the conversation. If some consumers like to eat cheese at room temperature, for example, “it’s not necessarily a good idea”, warns Céline Druet, because “the cold prevents the development of these bacteria”. For cheeses purchased at the market or cheese dairy, which have no packaging, it is advisable to ask the trader for the best storage conditions and shelf life of the product. In addition, “scratching the rind of the cheese is not enough to eliminate the risk of bacteria”, insists ANSES. Because despite good practices upstream, “zero risk does not exist”, recalls the deputy director, unless the cheese is cooked, in which case “there is no risk”.
What is the situation in France?
No question of advising to stop eating cheese. The situation in France is not so worrying that such a drastic measure should be considered, even if it can always be improved. If effectively in France, 34%, 37% and 60% of epidemics, respectively of salmonellosis, listeriosis and enterohaemorrhagic E.coli infections, are linked to the consumption of raw milk cheeses, they remain sporadic.
According to Céline Druet, since 2004, there have been ten E.coli epidemics; since 2008, 17 outbreaks of salmonellosis, and since 2012, 14 of listeriosis. “There is always room for improvement but we are already at a good level,” she finally reassures.