Cork cheese makers reveal details of what caused recall of two products
The Toons Bridge products affected by the recall notice. Picture: FSAI
The owners of Cork’s Toons Bridge Dairy have said a damaged shelf in a fridge was the source of the issue leading to the recall of two products in recent days.
Batches of two types of ricotta cheese from the dairy were subject of the recall by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI because of the possible presence of listeria monocytogenes.
Two batches each of Toons Bridge's Dairy Ricotta and Dairy Buffalo Ricotta were affected:
- Toons Bridge Dairy Ricotta - 200g & 1 kg - with the expiry dates 28/08/2025, 29/08/2025, 30/08/2025, 31/08/2025, 01/09/2025, 04/09/2025, 05/09/2025;
- Toons Bridge Dairy Buffalo Ricotta - 200g & 1 kg - with the expiry dates - 28/08/2025, 29/08/2025, 30/08/2025, 01/09/2025, 04/09/2025, 05/09/2025.
The FSAI requested retailers remove the implicated batches from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale.
In a statement on the business’s social media accounts, Toby Simmonds and Jenny-Rose Clarke said: “We have and are conducting extensive testing across our facility and are confident that the issue was isolated to a damaged shelf within the dedicated ricotta fridge. The shelves have been replaced, and additional sanitation protocols have been introduced to prevent any recurrence. We are continuing to produce (with daily batch testing) our other products as the incident was confined to a designated area specifically for ricotta.”
They said that “during routine testing, a 10.5kg batch of our buffalo ricotta was found to contain Listeria monocytogenes. As a small family-run dairy, the health and wellbeing of our customers is our top priority. In response, we made the decision to recall all batches of both cow and buffalo ricotta — not just the affected batch — as a precautionary measure to ensure complete customer safety.”
They continued: “Thanks to the swift action and support of the Department of Agriculture and our dedicated team, we were able to respond quickly and decisively. We extend our sincere thanks to both the department and our staff for their efficiency, professionalism, and commitment during this process.”
They also thanked their customers “for your patience, understanding, and continued support”, adding: “Your trust means everything to us, and we remain committed to providing you with the highest quality, safe, and delicious dairy products.”
The FSAI said that there is currently "no evidence" that the Toons Bridge product recall is linked in any way to the recent listeriosis outbreak related to ready meals sold nationwide, or the recall of spinach and mixed leaves products from supermarkets last month.
