The Gopala brand of paneer cheese is being recalled after listeria was found in testing following two cases of sickness.
Gopala Paneer Cheese. Photo: Supplied / MPI
The affected product is for all batches and dates up to and including best before 5 May 2022 of Gopoala brand paneer cheese sold in packets of various weights between 300g and 1kg.
The cheese is sold at major supermarkets, including Foodstuffs and Countdown, as well as other grocery stores throughout New Zealand.
Ministry for Primary Industries food safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said the pathogens' long incubation period made it difficult to establish a definitive link between the two cases and the product.
"However, because of the detection of listeria in specific batches, we support the recall, and advise anyone who has bought paneer recently to take the precaution of checking the product date mark to see if it is affected.
"Importantly, cooking the paneer thoroughly until it is piping hot all the way through will kill the pathogen. People should not eat affected product raw.
"If you are in any doubt, please throw the product out or return it to the place it was purchased."
Listeria poisoning can be serious in vulnerable people, including the young, elderly, pregnant women and the immunocompromised.
If affected, healthy adults are likely to experience only mild infection, causing mild diarrhoea and flu-like symptoms.
New Zealand Food Safely will work with the Gopala brand's company, Gopals Sweet & Snacks Limited, to find out how the bacteria could have come about and what actions might be required to prevent it recurring.