2 dead as listeria outbreak linked to queso fresco and other cheese spreads to 11 states

Gina Vivinetto

A decadelong, deadly listeria outbreak that has sickened dozens has been linked to cheese and other dairy products sold by Rizo López Foods, a company in Modesto, California, the Food and Drug Administration announced Feb. 6.

Rizo López Foods announced the same day that the company had recalled all of cheeses and dairy products made in their facility.

Listeria cheese recall 2024

The roughly 60 recalled products include various cheeses, yogurts and sour creams sold nationwide in grocery stores and at deli counters under the brand names:

  • Tio Francisco

  • Don Francisco

  • Rizo Bros

  • Rio Grande

  • Food City

  • El Huache

  • La Ordena

  • San Carlos

  • Campesino

  • Santa Maria

  • Dos Ranchitos

  • Casa Cardenas

  • 365 Whole Foods Market

The FDA website features a full list of the recalled products.

Listeria Outbreak Linked to Queso Fresco and Cotija Cheese (CDC)
Listeria Outbreak Linked to Queso Fresco and Cotija Cheese (CDC)

The outbreak, which has been linked to illnesses as far back as June 2024, has made at least 26 people in 11 states sick. Two people, one in California and another in Texas, died after consuming the contaminated products, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two people who got sick during the outbreak were pregnant and one person suffered a pregnancy loss. Additionally, two newborn babies were included in the case count for the outbreak because  "listeria can be passed to newborns during pregnancy," according to CDD officials.

The CDC originally investigated the outbreak in 2017 and 2021. Evidence in those previous investigations identified queso fresco and other similar cheeses as a potential source of the outbreak, but a specific brand could not be identified.

After new illnesses were reported in December 2023, the CDC and the FDA reopened the investigation.

In January 2024, a sample of Rizo Bros Aged Cotija tested positive for the same strain of listeria that made consumers sick in the original outbreak during a test conducted by the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Food and Drug Branch.

The FDA later conducted an on-site inspection at Rizo Lopez Foods's facility, where it "found the outbreak strain of Listeria on a container where cheeses are kept before they are packaged," said the CDC.

Symptoms of listeria infection

Listeria is a bacteria found in water, soil and animal feces, according to Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms of listeria infection can include vomiting, fever, headache, muscle aches and neck stiffness, according to the CDC.

Listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, people aged 65 or older, or to those with weakened immune systems.

Pregnant people who become infected with listeria may only experience symptoms of fever, muscle aches and tiredness, but an infection can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth or a life-threatening infection in a newborn.

Symptoms typically start within two weeks after eating food contaminated with listeria, but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after eating the contaminated food.

Consumers who experience symptoms after eating the recalled products should call a healthcare provider immediately.

The CDC is urging consumers not to eat the recalled products and to throw away any of the products if they are found at home.

Consumers should also clean any refrigerators, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the recalled products.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-833-296-2233, which will be monitored 24 hours a day.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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