Current:Home > reviewsCheesemaker pleads guilty in connection to a listeria outbreak that killed 2, sickened 8 -Thrive Financial Network
Cheesemaker pleads guilty in connection to a listeria outbreak that killed 2, sickened 8
View
Date:2025-04-27 20:20:11
A former cheesemaker, who manufactured raw cheese milk, and his company pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in connection to sale and distribution of cheese linked to a 2016-2017 outbreak of listeria which sickened 10 people, killing two of them.
Johannes Vulto, 64, and Vulto Creamery − the company Vulto founded and owned − each pled guilty in Syracuse, New York federal court to guilty to one misdemeanor count of causing the introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
The cheese products had been distributed across the country, predominantly sold at Whole Foods Markets.
The outbreak caused two deaths in Connecticut and Vermont, and caused eight other people to fall ill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
"This investigation and prosecution hold accountable the defendant and his business who through unsafe practices caused illness and death to consumers in an entirely preventable tragedy,” Carla B. Freedman, US Attorney for the Northern District of New York, said following the guilty pleas.
E. coli outbreak:Raw cheese linked to illnesses in 4 states, FDA, CDC investigation finds
Employees 'failed to wash lower or upper arms' during cheesemaking process
Vulto and his cheesemaking company consented to a court decree filed March 30, 2018 without admitting or denying allegations by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the federal Food and Drug Administration.
According to a criminal complaint, the creamery's ready-to-eat cheeses made from raw cow's milk contained L.mono − a form of bacteria that can cause listeriosis, a potentially life-threatening illness.
Some employees at the facility did not wash their lower or upper arms before submerging them in liquid whey to stir and break up cheese curds during the production process, federal investigators wrote in the court documents.
In entering the guilty plea, Vulto admitted he oversaw operations at the Vulto Creamery manufacturing facility in Walton, New York, including those relating to sanitation and environmental monitoring, the Justice Department said.
Vulto and his company also admitted between December 2014 and March 2017, they caused the shipment in interstate commerce of adulterated cheese.
Swabs 'repeatedly tested positive' for the bacteria
According to the plea agreement, environmental swabs taken at the Vulto Creamery facility repeatedly tested positive for the bacteria from late 2014 through early 2017.
In March 2017, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration linked Vulto Creamery’s cheese to an outbreak of listeria, Vulto shut down the Vulto Creamery facility and issued a partial recall soon expanded to a full recall.
Vulto faces up to a year in prison over listeria outbreak
Sentencing is set for July 9, federal prosecutors said.
Vulto faces up to a maximum of one year in prison, up to one year of supervise release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge to which Vulto Creamery pled guilty carries a maximum sentence of probation and a maximum fine of up to $500,000.
Contributing: Kevin McCoy
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (33318)
Related
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Why is there an ADHD medication shortage in 2024? What's making generics of Vyvanse, Adderall and more so scarce
- Andy Reid's best work yet? Chiefs coach's 2023 season was one of his finest
- Watch this endangered teen elephant dancing and singing in the rain at the San Diego Zoo
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Elon Musk is synonymous with Tesla. Is that good or bad for shareholders?
- Manhattan prosecutor announces new indictments in Times Square brawl between police and migrants
- Man charged with stealing small airplane that crashed on a California beach
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Andra Day prays through nervousness ahead of Super Bowl performance
Ranking
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- CIA terminates whistleblower who prompted flood of sexual misconduct complaints
- Man accused of stalking New York cafe owner by plane has been arrested again
- Everything You Need for that Coastal Cool Home Aesthetic We All Can’t Get Enough of
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Sleepy polar bear that dug out a bed in sea ice to nap wins prestigious wildlife photography award
- Goldfish believed to be world's longest caught in Australia: He was a monster
- Total solar eclipse will be visible to millions. What to know about safety, festivities.
Recommendation
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
Polyamory has hit reality TV with 'Couple to Throuple.' Expect to challenge your misconceptions.
Olivia Culpo Has the Winning Secret to Prepping for Super Bowl Weekend in Las Vegas
Marianne Williamson suspends presidential campaign
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Inert 1,000-pound bomb from World War II era dug up near Florida airport
Biden and Trump: How the two classified documents investigations came to different endings
Dakota Johnson says being on 'The Office' was 'the worst time of my life'