The imported Italian ricotta salata cheese distributed by Forever Cheese, Inc., of New York is linked to illnesses in 11 states and the District of Columbia.
The company issued a recall on Monday. A spokesman for Forever Cheese said the recalled batch was manufactured in Italy's Puglia region.
He would not name the company. Listeria is rare but deadlier than well-known pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli.
It is most dangerous to pregnant women, the elderly and others with compromised immune systems.
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