Consumers Advised to Dump Dairy Products Made by Dixon-based Company in Recall

Though no illnesses have been reported, all items from Dixon IL-based Ludwig Dairy Products are being removed from store shelves and consumers should discard all items made by the company due to a pasteurization equipment problem, according to an advisory from the Health Department.

The advisory pertains to Ludwig’s name-brand items, as well as a drinkable yogurt product sold under the Nuestro Queso brand name. The products are mostly sold in Kane, DuPage, Cook, Lake, McHenry and Will counties in Illinois and also in Indiana, New Jersey and New York.

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The recall and discard advisory is valid until Ludwig’s pasteurizing equipment is operating correctly and has been inspected by Illinois Department of Public Health.

During a routine inspection of Ludwig’s facilities, IDPH found pasteurizing equipment operating improperly, potentially allowing raw milk to be mixed with pasteurized milk and sold in dairy products. Inspectors found a system controlled pump, designed to stop the production process if raw milk pressure exceeded pasteurized pressure, was bypassed and replaced with a pump that was not wired into the controls.

Ludwig is removing its products from stores and is working with IDPH to determine the extent of the improper pasteurization. Pasteurization involves heating raw milk to a predetermined temperature for a specific amount of time to kill illness-causing bacteria within the milk.

Raw milk and products made from it, including some types of cheese and yogurt, can be contaminated with bacteria that can cause serious illness, hospitalization or death. Illness can include days of diarrhea, stomach cramping and vomiting. The less common yet more serious illnesses can include kidney failure, paralysis and chronic disorders.

For more information on food safety, visit the Kane County Health Department website at http://kanehealth.com/food_safety.htm.