Budget supermarket chain Aldi is recalling four brands of cream cheese because they are contaminated with salmonella, a bacterium that causes fatal food poisoning.
The products, available only at Aldi, were available in 28 states in the US, including Happy Farms WTurtle Cream Cheese Spread, Chives & Onions Cream Cheese Spread, Cream Cheese Spread and Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread.
Brand manufacturer Schreiber Foods recommends that these products be discarded immediately or returned to the store for a refund.
Aldi has recalled four brands of cream cheese in 28 states.
Aldi operates supermarkets in the US and is known for its discount products.
Schreiber Foods also sells products to other supermarket chains.
This includes Hy-Vee, another national chain that operates throughout the Midwest, which announced a similar recall earlier this week.
Hy-Vee is recalling Hy-Vee Cream Cheese Spread, as well as its Cookies and Cream bulk mix, USA Today reports this.
A third Midwest retailer called Schnucks also recalled some of its products made by Schreiber. These include Schnucks Whip Cream Spread, Schnucks Strawberry Spread and Schnucks Cream Cheese Spread.
Salmonella is the most common form of food poisoning in the US, causing 1.35 million infections annually.
According to the researchers, it can cause fever, stomach cramps, vomiting and nausea Cleveland Clinic.
Most people recover from the infection without treatment, but in severe cases the diarrhea can cause dehydration and require medical attention.
About 26,500 Americans go to the hospital for this disease, and 420 of them die each year.
If you have a weakened immune system or are elderly, you are at particular risk of developing serious complications from salmonella and you should seek medical attention if you have been exposed to the bacteria.