Cheese Recall List Shows States Under Listeria Warning

Health officials released a new map showing the states with current cases tied to the ongoing deadly listeria outbreak that sparked recall alerts for dozens of cheese products sold across the United States and Canada.

Earlier this month, nearly 60 food items containing queso fresco and cotija cheeses manufactured by Rizo-López Foods, of Modesto, California, were recalled over fears they may have been contaminated with the potentially deadly bacteria, according to a health alert issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A new map based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the ongoing outbreak has been linked to 26 reported cases of illness across the U.S. At the moment, there have been 23 hospitalizations and two deaths across 11 states.

There have been cases reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

California has had the most cases, including one of the deaths, with the other occurring in Texas. The recalled products were distributed nationwide and to Canada, prompting product recalls in every U.S. state.

On Tuesday, Rizo López provided the FDA with a 24-page list of hundreds of retail establishments that received the company's dairy products. The list includes stores where the potentially contaminated products were distributed in California, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

The recalled dairy products and goods made with them are sold under brand names Bright Farms, Campesino, Casa Cardenas, Dole, Don Francisco, Don Pancho, Dos Ranchitos, El Huache, Food City, Fresh & Ready Foods, Fresh Express, H-E-B, Jack & Olive, La Ordena, Marketside, Maverick Foods, President's Choice, Ready Pac Bistro, Rio Grande, Rizo Bros, Rojos, San Carlos, Santa Maria, Sprig & Sprout (S&S), The Perfect Bite Co., Tio Francisco, Trader Joe's, and 365 Whole Foods Market.

Retailer names where recalled products were sold unbranded as taco kits, wraps or meals are Albertsons, Bristol Farms, Carrs-Safeway, Costco, Eagle, Lucky, Pavilions, Randalls, Safeway, Save Mart, Shaw's, Sprouts (S&S), Star Market, Stater Bros. Markets, Tom Thumb and Vons.

While the reported cases linked to the current listeria outbreak range from June 15, 2014, to December 10, 2023, the recall of all Rizo-López products did not occur until this month, according to the FDA.

The CDC said that the outbreak was investigated in 2017 and 2021, and that while epidemiological evidence identified queso fresco and similar cheese as a potential source of the infections, there was insufficient evidence to point to a specific brand.

After reports of new cases of the illness emerged in December, the CDC reopened the investigation in January. The strain of listeria particular to the outbreak was found in a cheese sample from Rizo-López in Hawaii, then on a container at the company's facility where cheeses are kept before being packaged.

Newsweek reached out via email on Tuesday night to representatives of the FDA and Rizo-López for comment.

The CDC said that "recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak," suggesting the number of cases may yet rise further.

Listeriosis, the infection caused by the bacteria listeria monocytogenes, can cause numerous symptoms, including fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Sometimes the symptoms are preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal issues, according to the CDC.

Adults age 65 and older, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns are more susceptible to severe illness.

In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn, according to health officials.

The CDC states that people in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the food.

The FDA warns that listeria can survive in refrigerated temperatures and easily spread to other foods and surfaces, noting that proper cleaning is essential to avoid cross-contamination.