Walmart recalls several items amid listeria outbreak that's killed 2 people

Gina Vivinetto

Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe’s are recalling several products amid an ongoing listeria outbreak tied to cheese and other dairy products. Other nationwide retailers are also affected by the recall, which stems from California-based company Rio López Foods.

Listeria is a type of bacteria that can be deadly if consumed by certain groups. The Food and Drug Administration announced the recall on Feb. 6.

The outbreak, which dates back to 2014, has left at least two people dead, an ongoing investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. However, it's not clear what retailers the products that led to the fatalities were purchased from.

Cheese recall 2024 affects Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe’s

Rizo López foods has voluntarily recalled all cheeses and other dairy products made in its facility, roughly 60 items, due to a risk that they are contaminated with listeria, per the FDA.

The items were sold nationwide, including at Walmart, Trader Joe’s and Costco. Both grocery stores have issued their own recalls of items that are affected by the Rizo López listeria outbreak.

The recalled Costco items are:

The recalled Trader Joe’s items are:

  • Chicken Enchiladas Verde (sku 58292)

  • Cilantro Salad Dressing (sku 36420)

  • Elote Chopped Salad Kit (sku 74768)

  • Southwest Salad (sku 56077)

The recalled Walmart items are:

  • Fresh Express Salsa! Ensalada Salad Kit with use-by date between Jan. 6 and Feb. 20, 2024, including its condiment packet, UPC 681131305129

  • Marketside Southwest Chopped Salad Kit with use-by date between Dec. 27, 2023, and Feb. 20, 2024, including its condiment packet, UPC 071279309026 or 681131305129

  • Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Chopped Salad Kit with use-by date on or before Feb. 21, 2024, UPC 6 8113130544 0

  • Dole Chopped Kit Avocado Ranch, use-by date between Feb. 3 and Feb. 20, 2024, UPC 71430000915 or 71430000922

  • Dole Premium Kit Southwest Salad, use-by date between Feb. 4 and Feb. 18, 2024, UPC 71430017012

  • Dole Cajun Ranch Chopped Kit, use-by between Feb. 4 and Feb. 18, 2024, UPC 71430002063

  • Dole Premium Kit Endless Summer, use-by between Feb. 4 and Feb. 19, 2024, UPC 71430010730

  • Dole Supreme Kit Southwest Salad, use-by date between Feb. 3 and Feb. 18, 2024, UPC 71430017111

  • President’s Choice Southwest Salad Kit, use-by date between Feb. 3 and Feb. 18, 2024, UPC 60383023195

All three retailers said that anyone who has purchased these items should not consume them and instead contact either the store for a full refund.

Other recalled cheese and dairy products due to listeria:

The FDA said in its announcement that queso fresco and cotija cheese and other dairy products included in the recall were also sold under these brand names at retailers and deli counters nationwide:

  • 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)

Listeria outbreak 2024

The outbreak, which has been linked to illnesses as far back as June 2014, has made at least 26 people in 11 states sick, including 23 hospitalizations. Two people, one in California and another in Texas, died after consuming the contaminated products, according to the CDC.

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,” per the CDC.

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.

What is listeria?

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

It can contaminate many different types of foods and survive refrigeration. When a person consumes listeria and it makes them sick, the infection is called listeriosis. It is especially dangerous for older, immunocompromised or pregnant individuals.

Listeria infection is the third-leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S.

Listeria symptoms

Symptoms of listeria infection, according to the CDC, can include:

  • Vomiting

  • Fever

  • Headache

  • Muscle aches

  • Neck stiffness

  • Fatigue

  • Confusion

  • Loss of balance

  • Seizures

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.

How long after eating a contaminated food does listeria kick in?

Symptoms of a listeria infection typically start within two weeks after eating contaminated food, but they may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks afterward.

Consumers who experience symptoms after eating a recalled product should call a health care provider immediately.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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