French health authorities have ordered the nationwide recall of more than 40 batches of soft-rind cheeses after linking them to 21 cases of listeriosis, two of which proved fatal. The products—various brands of camembert, brie, coulommiers and goat cheeses—were distributed in supermarkets across France and exported to several countries, according to the health ministry and public-health agency Santé publique France. Investigators traced the contamination to Fromagerie Chavegrand, a family-owned dairy in the Creuse region that supplies private-label cheeses to chains such as Carrefour, Leclerc, Lidl and Auchan. The suspect cheeses were produced on an older manufacturing line that was taken out of service in June after routine tests detected Listeria monocytogenes. Chavegrand said the line remains closed, current output is under tightened daily microbiological checks and all potentially affected products were withdrawn starting 8 August. The cases identified so far involve 11 women and 10 men aged 34 to 95; 18 patients are over 65 and most had underlying health conditions. Symptoms of listeriosis range from fever and gastrointestinal disorders to severe blood-stream and neurological infections, posing a heightened threat to the elderly, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. Consumers are urged to dispose of or return any recalled items and to seek medical advice if they develop symptoms within eight weeks of consumption. While no additional fatalities have been reported, Belgium’s public-health institute Sciensano has confirmed a first infection potentially linked to the same cheeses, prompting European monitoring of the outbreak.