Health. The 21 cases of listeriosis are spread across the country.

The 21 cases of listeriosis identified by health authorities as "possibly linked" to the consumption of cheese from the Chavegrand cheese factory are spread across almost the entire French territory, according to a health update from Public Health France (SpF) on Wednesday.

"The cases are spread across the entire country, with the exception of the Pays de la Loire region," according to the press release, which details the health situation of the infected people, two of whom have died. "There are eleven women and ten men aged between 34 and 95, 18 of whom are over 65," reports SpF.

Among these 21 people, "three of them were taking long-term drug treatments likely to promote digestive infections and all the others had co-morbidities known as risk factors for listeriosis (cancers, diabetes, heart disease or advanced age)."

"Investigations carried out by Public Health France (...) led to the identification at the beginning of August of convergent epidemiological and microbiological elements, establishing a possible link between these 21 cases of listeriosis," including 18 since June, "and the consumption of pasteurized milk cheeses produced by the Chavegrand company," indicated a joint press release from SpF and the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday.

The cheeses concerned , Camemberts, creamy cheeses, or goat's cheeses, among others, were marketed "until August 9, 2025" by the cheese factory throughout "the entire national territory", notably in supermarkets, as well as "internationally", according to this joint press release.

Listeriosis, caused by Listeria monocytogenes, is the second leading cause of death from food poisoning, with several dozen deaths per year in France.

The Chavegrand cheese company responded on Tuesday by offering its "condolences to the affected families." It stated that the cheeses recalled in June and August were produced on an old production line, which was closed in early June and replaced by a new one. The line was subject to "a highly enhanced analysis plan," which has still not found any trace of Listeria within the cheese factory.