Panera Bread, the soup-and-sandwiches restaurant chain found in shopping centers across the country, said it would recall cream cheese products sold in its U.S. cafes over possible Listeria contamination.
The bakery-café chain went ahead with the recall after samples of one type of 2-ounce cream cheese from a single production day tested positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, Panera said Sunday in its announcement.
"The safety of our guests and associates is paramount," said Blaine Hurt, Panera's president and chief executive. "Our intent is to go above and beyond for our guests. You should expect nothing less from Panera."
Listeria can cause life-threatening infections in young children, frail or elderly people and people with fragile immune systems. Healthy people can come down with fevers or diarrhea, and pregnant women can suffer miscarriages and stillbirths.
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The recall covers only cream cheese sold in Panera locations in the United States. It doesn't include Panera cafés in Canada or other Panera food products. As of last fall, the chain said it operated about 2,100 locations.