Italy Recalls a Valtellina Casera PDO Cheese Over Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and Publishes Another Microbiological Recall on October 9

Italy's Ministry of Health published on October 9, 2026, on its portal of food product notices and recalls, the recall of Valtellina Casera PDO cheese, a matured cow's milk cheese with protected designation of origin, marketed unbranded. The recall template that accompanies the notice indicates as the reason the presence of STEC Escherichia coli, that is, Shiga toxin-producing. The same day the Ministry also published the recall of a traditional cured sausage from Basilicata, classified as a recall for microbiological risk.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains are a known cause of foodborne infections. They can cause everything from diarrhea and abdominal cramps to bloody stools and, in young children and older people, serious kidney complications. Their infectious dose is low, so the presence of the microorganism in a food that is eaten without cooking, such as a matured cheese, justifies withdrawing the product from the market even if no cases have been reported.

The Ministry's archive of operator recalls accumulates thousands of records and is classified by reason: microbiological, chemical or physical risk, presence of allergens and migration from food contact materials. The Ministry recalls that only the recalls and revocations published on its portal are official. The notice asks consumers not to consume the product and to return it to the point of sale where they bought it.

For cheesemakers, the case recalls that matured cheeses have no final step that eliminates pathogens and that control of the raw material, of ripening and of plant surfaces is the main barrier. TAAG's Specio 3.2 kit detects by real-time PCR with melting curve Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7, an STEC serotype, and its datasheet includes dairy and surfaces. It does not cover the whole diversity of STEC and matured cheese is not listed as a specific matrix, so the association is indirect and limited to supporting product and environment monitoring.