Listeria outbreak prompts recall of Rizo Lopez cheese, dairy products

California-based Rizo Lopez Foods has recalled dozens of its cheese and dairy products after federal health officials linked the company to a decade-long listeria outbreak that has led to two deaths and more than 20 hospitalizations across the country.

The Food and Drug Administration advised consumers not to eat the recalled brands of cheese, sour cream or yogurt and to discard any such products they have purchased. It added that people or businesses that have bought the recalled products should clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers the products touched.

Pregnant and immunocompromised people, as well as newborns and adults over the age of 65, are most at risk of falling seriously ill from a listeria infection, according to the FDA.

Listeria outbreaks can be deadly. Here’s what to know about them.

The listeria outbreak dates to 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The agency added that although its previous investigations in 2017 and 2021 identified soft cheese including queso fresco as a potential source of the outbreak, it had not been able to identify a specific brand.
The CDC reopened its investigation in January after reports of new illnesses the previous month and identified the strain in a cheese sample from Rizo Lopez Foods. “Epidemiology and recent laboratory data show that queso fresco and cotija made by Rizo Lopez Foods are making people in this outbreak sick,” the CDC said.
Rizo Lopez Foods recalled aged cotija cheese on Jan. 11 after state officials in Hawaii detected listeria in that product, and the company recalled 58 cheese and dairy products on Monday, the CDC and the FDA said. Rizo Lopez Foods will pause production and distribution of the products as the investigation continues.

Which states have reported listeria cases?

Since 2014, 26 people in 11 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of listeria, 23 of whom were hospitalized, the CDC said. Two deaths — one each in California and Texas — have been linked to the outbreak, and one person experienced a pregnancy loss, the agency said.

The illness has been reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

What products have been recalled?

Rizo Lopez Foods said it is voluntarily recalling cheese, yogurt and sour cream sold 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 and 365 Whole Foods Market.

Here’s the full list of recalled products.

Listeria is the infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. It is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, according to the CDC.

Besides cheese, previous listeria outbreaks have been linked to deli meats, packaged salads and enoki mushrooms.

Mild symptoms of listeria can include a fever and vomiting, while a severe infection can lead to loss of balance and convulsions, the FDA said.