The Food Standards Agency published a product recall alert on 28 August 2026 after Listeria monocytogenes was found in two buffalo milk cheeses. Macroom Buffalo Cheese Products is recalling Macroom Buffalo Cheese Mozzarella in 125g packs and Macroom Buffalo Cheese Bocconcini in 160g packs, both carrying a use by date of 07 September 2026. The alert, reference FSA-PRIN-42-2026, lists Northern Ireland as the affected market, and point of sale notices are being displayed in shops that stocked the cheeses. The FSA advice to anyone who bought them reads: "If you have bought the above products, do not eat them. Instead, return them to where you bought them from for a full refund." The agency states that listeria symptoms can resemble flu, including a high temperature, muscle ache, chills, nausea and diarrhoea, and that people over 65, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies under one month old and people with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to severe infection.
The fifth microbiological recall of the month
This is the fifth food safety recall the FSA has published in August 2026. It follows Greencore recalling three pasta products over possible listeria on 7 August, A.Vogel recalling Rapunzel bioSnacky Red Clover sprouting seeds over E. coli (STEC) contamination on 10 August, Summit Foods recalling four filled wraps over possible STEC across England, Scotland and Wales on 21 August, and Tesco recalling its Finest Mozzarella Pearls and Pesto Orzo Salad 215g over possible STEC on 25 August. Three of the five involve Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Four are chilled ready to eat foods; the A.Vogel recall covers a packet of seeds sold for sprouting at home.
What this means in practice
Recall scope is narrower than the headlines usually suggest. Each FSA alert names the exact product, pack size and use by dates involved, which is what separates an affected pack from an identical looking one on the same shelf. Scope also varies by nation: the Macroom alert applies to Northern Ireland, while the Summit Foods alert names England, Scotland and Wales. Post-Brexit, Great Britain and Northern Ireland follow different food and supplement rules in places, so the market an alert covers is part of the alert, not a detail. Every alert stays published on the FSA site under its reference number.
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This article reports published news and research and is for information only. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet or medical care, and no product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescribed medicines.
Sources
- FSA-PRIN-42-2026: Macroom Buffalo Cheese Products recalls Mozzarella and Bocconcini because of Listeria monocytogenes
- FSA-PRIN-40-2026: Summit Foods recalls various products because of possible STEC contamination
- FSA-PRIN-41-2026: Tesco recalls Tesco Finest Mozzarella Pearls & Pesto Orzo Salad because of possible E. coli (STEC)