The French Agriculture Ministry reported a listeria outbreak associated with cheese had resulted in two fatalities in France and at least 21 further infections, with Belgian authorities confirming related cases within their borders.
French officials believe the contamination originates from cheeses produced at the Chavegrand factory, situated in Creuse, central France.
The ministry ordered a comprehensive recall of all cheese manufactured at this facility before 23 June and distributed up until 9 August, pulling products from French supermarket shelves.
The affected batches, sold under various brand names both domestically and internationally, include camembert, brie, gorgonzola, and goat cheese, primarily marketed under the labels Le Berger, Le Lion un fromage royal, Saveur d’antan, and Le Petit Grignoteur.
“Anyone in possession of these products is asked not to consume them,” the ministry stated.
This recent action follows an initial product recall initiated by Chavegrand on 12 June after listeria detection. Subsequent inspections conducted in the month following that initial alert reportedly found no contamination, permitting production activities to resume.
The Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FAVV) confirmed on Wednesday that one individual had been infected with the identical bacterial strain responsible for the fatalities in France.
However, officials cautioned that such contamination events are not uncommon. Hélène Bonte of the FAVV explained to Flemish media outlet VRT News that “bacteria are part of our environment and can therefore end up in our food,” adding that food companies routinely perform checks to minimise risk.
Bonte noted this marks the first listeria case in Belgium this year linked specifically to French cheeses, though the country has recorded 62 listeria infections overall in 2024. The implicated cheese batches were sold in Colruyt, Okay, and Comarkt supermarkets and are now being withdrawn.
Listeria infection typically presents symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever. While often manageable, the illness poses a potentially life-threatening risk, particularly to vulnerable populations such as the elderly, pregnant women, newborns, and those with weakened immune systems.
