Investigation into deadly Listeria outbreak shows company knew cheese plant was contaminated
A federal court has shut down the Walton, NY, creamery that last year was the source of a multistate listeriosis outbreak that infected eight people in four states with listeriosis, resulting in two deaths.
In a civil action, U.S. District Court Judge Brenda Sannes permanently enjoined Vulto Creamery LLC and its owner Johannes H. Vulto from any further manufacturing or distribution of food. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found Vulto’s ready-to-eat cheeses are adulterated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono).
New court documents say that in the aftermath of the deadly outbreak, federal officials came to the conclusion that Vulto lacked the knowledge and understanding to make corrections and become compliant with legal requirements.
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