Champignon North America Inc. of Englewood Cliffs, N.J. recalls Cheeses

NEWS 12/07/1993 Champignon North America Inc. of Englewood Cliffs, N.J. recalls Cheeses
P93-44                               Food and Drug Administration
For Immediate Release                Brad Stone (202) 205-4144

     FDA today announced that Champignon North America Inc.
of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is voluntarily recalling packages of
its Champignon brand of soft-ripened Camembert and Brie cheeses 
that fail to state they need refrigeration.  Without
refrigeration the cheeses could support the growth of Clostridium
botulinum bacteria, which could result in life-threatening food
poisoning.
     The cheeses are sold in 4-1/2-ounce, hermetically sealed
metal cans.  Inside the cans, the cheeses are wrapped in foil.    
     FDA urges consumers who have purchased these Champignon
cheese products to return them to the place of purchase or to
discard them if the products have not been refrigerated, or the
consumer is not sure that the products' packaging bears the "keep
refrigerated" statement.     
     Champignon, the importer and distributor of the European
cheeses, has taken steps to recall the products from all
retailers and other outlets to which they have been distributed.  
    Officials from the Marin County Environmental Health
Department in California first notified FDA of the problem with
the Champignon products.  To date, no illnesses associated with
the products have been reported.
     Among the product samples tested by FDA, none were found to
be contaminated with botulism, but some have been found to
contain evidence of other forms of bacterial contamination.
FDA is one of eight Public Health Service agencies within HHS.   
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