Greece Recalls Barrel-Matured Feta Cheese Due to Listeria Contamination

Greece's Hellenic Food Authority ordered the immediate recall of a batch of barrel-aged feta cheese on April 9, 2026, after laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The affected product, sold under the trade name "Feta Vytinas PDO Barrel," was produced by the company Nikolaos Tsatsoulis & Sons G.P. on January 24, 2026, and carries a consumption date of July 24, 2027. The recall covers the entire batch identified by lot number 24/07/2027 (FE-2751). EFET urged all consumers who purchased this specific batch not to consume it under any circumstances. Inspections related to the recall were already underway as of the announcement.

Epidemiological probe triggered the extraordinary inspection The recall followed an extraordinary inspection carried out by EFET's Regional Directorate of Attica after the authority received notification from Greece's National Public Health Organization, known by its Greek acronym EODY. The inspection was conducted within the framework of an ongoing epidemiological investigation, though no specific details about confirmed illnesses or the number of individuals affected were disclosed in the announcement. Samples of the feta cheese were collected during the extraordinary audit and forwarded for laboratory testing. The analysis was performed by the Athens Food Testing and Research Laboratories of EFET, which confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the sample. EFET subsequently demanded the immediate withdrawal of the entire specific batch from circulation. The announcement was made on Holy Thursday, April 9, 2026, a major public holiday in the Greek Orthodox calendar.

„EFET demanded the immediate recall of the entire specific batch of the product in question and the relevant inspections are already underway. Consumers who have purchased the above product are urged not to consume it.” — EFET via iefimerida.gr

Listeria can survive refrigeration and shows no visible signs Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium found in soil, groundwater, rotting vegetation, and animal feces, and most human infections result from consuming contaminated food, according to reporting by To Vima. The incubation period for listeriosis typically ranges from one to two weeks, but can extend to as long as three months. One of the most dangerous characteristics of the bacterium is its ability to survive and even multiply at very low temperatures, including inside refrigerators and freezers. Contaminated food shows no change in smell, taste, or texture, making detection impossible without laboratory testing. Foods most commonly associated with listeria contamination include deli meats, sausages, fresh produce, and unpasteurized dairy products. While healthy individuals with robust immune systems face lower risk, pregnant women, fetuses, people aged 65 and over, and those with weakened immune systems — including cancer patients or individuals taking immunosuppressive drugs — face the greatest danger of serious illness or death.

Feta cheese holds Protected Designation of Origin status under European Union law, meaning only cheese produced in specific regions of Greece according to traditional methods may legally carry the name. PDO feta is typically made from sheep's milk, or a blend of sheep's and goat's milk, and is aged in brine. Listeria monocytogenes contamination in dairy products has historically prompted food safety recalls across Europe, as the bacterium poses particular risks to vulnerable population groups. EFET operates as Greece's national food safety authority and conducts both routine and extraordinary inspections of food products on the market.

Consumers urged to check batch numbers before Easter holiday The timing of the recall — issued on Holy Thursday, one of the busiest food shopping days of the Greek Orthodox Easter period — raises the practical urgency for consumers to verify any recently purchased feta. The specific batch in question is identifiable by lot number 24/07/2027 (FE-2751), a production date of January 24, 2026, and a consumption date of July 24, 2027. Consumers who have already purchased the product are advised not to consume it regardless of its apparent condition, given that listeria contamination produces no detectable changes in the food's appearance, smell, or taste. EFET confirmed that inspections related to the recall were already underway at the time of the announcement. No information on the geographic distribution of the affected batch or the number of units involved was provided in the official announcement. The recall was confirmed across multiple Greek media outlets on the morning of April 9, 2026.