But there is also good news....
Tuesday October 21, 2003 11:01 PM
By EMILY GERSEMA
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - People most likely to get food poisoning from listeria can safely eat soft cheeses like feta, bleu or camembert as long as they are made with pasteurized milk and stored properly, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
The agency's previous advice to pregnant women, people with weak immune systems and the elderly was to avoid soft cheeses altogether.
FDA officials said they made the change because new studies show soft cheese made from pasteurized milk is not at a high risk for listeria.
Mark McClellan, the FDA commissioner, said all consumers can protect their health by keeping ready-to-eat goods like cheese and deli meat cold and consuming them as soon as possible.
Listeria can cause flu-like symptoms and is sometimes deadly. In pregnant women, it can cause stillbirths without mothers realizing they are ill.
About 1,800 people get sick and 500 die each year from the bacteria, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About half those cases are preventible if consumers followed FDA recommendations, McClellan said.
The government lists sandwich meat, frankfurters, raw milk, smoked seafood and precooked shellfish as foods with the highest risk of carrying listeria. High-fat dairy items like cream are at a medium risk. Fruit, ice cream and raw seafood have the lowest risk.
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On the Net:
FDA: www.fda.gov