La Ferme de Liègue “Bêêle des prés” goat cheese recalled across France over Listeria

The warning relates to a soft goat’s cheese distributed throughout France via specialist retailers and delicatessens. Health officials caution that consuming it may lead to severe illness for some people.

Which product has been recalled throughout France?

The recall involves a small goat’s cheese known as a “tommette de chèvre”. It is sold by La Ferme de Liègue under the name “Bêêle des prés”.

This goat cheese was sold nationwide in France between 5 December 2025 and 26 January 2026 and is now subject to an official recall due to bacterial contamination.

Rather than being supplied through major supermarket groups, the cheese was distributed via numerous independent retailers and intermediaries. The official alert on the French government’s Rappel Conso platform states that the affected batches went to:

• Aumand
• Ouest Frais
• La boucherie du coin
• SAS du Bignon
• La Fée Cochette
• Olivier Jouteau

It is a small, tomme-style goat’s cheese sold wrapped and labelled with the La Ferme de Liègue brand and the “Bêêle des prés” name. People who frequently buy food from French butchers, cheesemongers or premium caterers may be particularly likely to have bought it.

Identifying the recalled La Ferme de Liègue cheese

French officials have issued precise identification information to help customers check the contents of their refrigerators. The recall covers goat’s cheese carrying these batch numbers:

• CTB031125
• CTB041125
• CTB051125
• CTB291025
• CTB121125
• CTB191125
• CTB261125
• CTB281125
• CTB291125

The product can also be recognised by GTIN barcode 3770026529294 and has a use-by date of 11 March 2026.

Anyone in France who has bought La Ferme de Liègue’s “Bêêle des prés” tommette with a use-by date of 11 March 2026 should treat it as potentially unsafe.

What health risk is linked to the recall?

Testing of several tommette batches found microbiological contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. According to the authorities, this level of contamination means the cheese must not be eaten.

Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, a foodborne infection that may produce mild flu-like illness or, in some cases, life-threatening complications.

Symptoms after eating the cheese

French health authorities say that early listeriosis commonly involves:

• A sudden fever
• Muscle pain and general aches
• Headaches, which may be severe
• Digestive symptoms on occasion, including nausea or diarrhoea

Symptoms may develop within days of consuming contaminated food. However, listeriosis can sometimes emerge only several weeks later, and this extended incubation period is one reason Listeria is treated so seriously.

Anyone experiencing fever, aches, or headaches after eating this goat cheese is urged to seek medical advice quickly and mention the recall.

Who faces the greatest risk from Listeria?

In otherwise healthy adults, listeriosis may look similar to a short-lived viral infection. The greater danger concerns vulnerable groups, in whom the complications can be serious.

Those at increased risk are:

• Pregnant women
• Newborn babies
• Elderly people
• Anyone with a weakened immune system, such as people receiving cancer treatment, living with HIV, or affected by certain long-term illnesses

During pregnancy, Listeria can pass through the placenta, potentially causing miscarriage, premature delivery or severe infection in the baby. In frail adults and people with compromised immunity, the bacteria may enter the bloodstream or central nervous system, possibly resulting in sepsis or meningitis.

What to do if you have this cheese

Anyone who still has this product at home should not consume it in any circumstances. French authorities advise consumers to:

• Stop eating the cheese at once
• Retain the packaging or label where possible, so the batch number can be checked
• Take the item back to the shop where it was purchased before Thursday 26 March 2026
• Ask for a refund, which the retailer should provide

For further information or clarification, consumers can contact the recall helpline on 06 21 00 34 42 during French business hours.

Do not taste the cheese “just to check” – even a small amount can be enough to cause infection in those at risk.

Why soft cheeses often feature in Listeria alerts

France is internationally renowned for its cheese culture, in which raw-milk and lightly processed varieties play a major part. Goat’s cheeses, particularly small artisan wheels and tommettes, are often valued for their flavour and digestibility.

However, soft and semi-soft cheeses can offer conditions in which Listeria survives and may sometimes multiply. The bacterium is unusually resistant to cold, so refrigeration does not by itself remove the danger. Where contamination happens at the dairy or during maturation, the bacteria may remain present until the product reaches the customer.

Product type	Typical Listeria risk
Hard cooked cheeses (e.g. Comté)	Lower risk due to low moisture and high cooking temperature
Soft, rind-ripened cheeses (e.g. brie, some goat cheeses)	Higher risk, especially if made with raw milk
Fresh cheeses (e.g. spreadable goat cheese)	Variable risk, depends on hygiene and storage

This does not mean that people need to stop eating soft cheese entirely. Instead, public-health bodies recommend that pregnant women, elderly people and immunocompromised patients make careful choices, read labels closely and monitor recall notices.

How food recalls work in France

Since 2021, France has brought consumer-safety alerts together on the Rappel Conso platform. When contaminated food is identified, manufacturers and public authorities publish a formal alert setting out:

• The product’s name, brand and format
• Batch numbers and barcodes
• Best-before or use-by dates
• The identified danger, in this case Listeria monocytogenes
• The action consumers should take and the deadline for obtaining a refund

Retailers should remove the item from sale immediately and place notices at the point of purchase. Although recalls can be financially damaging for small producers, they are an important means of preserving confidence in the wider food system.

Practical cheese food-safety advice

For people outside France, this case is a reminder that foods described as “natural” or “traditional” are not necessarily free from risk. Several straightforward precautions can lower the likelihood of illness from cheese and other refrigerated food:

• Keep the refrigerator at 4°C or below
• Follow use-by dates for soft and fresh cheeses
• Do not leave cheese out for hours at room temperature during warm weather
• If you are vulnerable, choose hard or pasteurised cheeses unless a doctor advises otherwise
• Watch for recall notices issued by national food-safety bodies

Listeria is often confused with better-known bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli. A major difference is that illness caused by Listeria can occur long after the food was eaten. A person may no longer have the cheese at home but can still become unwell weeks later. This delay makes connecting symptoms to a particular food more difficult, which is why clear public communication about recalls is so important.

For lovers of artisan goat’s cheese, this incident does not mean the end of the cheese board. It does show how rapidly a small-batch product can be distributed around a country, and how detailed traceability through batch numbers, dates and barcodes enables officials to identify it and alert the public before a pleasure becomes a hospital visit.