Clover Hill Dairy, Mechanicsville, Maryland, has expanded its recall of soft ricotta/call cheese to include all cheeses because it has been linked to an outbreak of listeria infections.
The cheeses involved were distributed through bulk distributors and direct-to-consumer retailers in North Carolina, New York, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. from May 4 to May 30.
Clover Hills Requeston Cheese is sold in retail-size packaging in 10-, 12-, and 14-ounce individually wrapped clamshell containers.
For clamshell containers bearing the Clover Hill Dairy Cheese brand name, consumers should look for Clover Hill Dairy’s factory number 24-128 on the product label to help identify the recalled product. Some cheeses have been repackaged and do not have identifying labels.
The recalled cheese was also sold in bulk 5-gallon and 2-gallon buckets to some customers who repackaged the cheese. Bulk Cheese may be repackaged under individual bulk distributor brand names, including but not limited to KESSO, QUESOS LA RICURA, IZALCO, DE MI PUEBLO, and RIO LINDO.
Cloverhill Soft Ricotta/Requeson Cheese resulted in 9 cases, 1 of whom died.
Clover Hill Dairy has ceased production and distribution of all cheese products.
About listeria infection
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled, but it can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who develops symptoms of listeria infection after eating the recalled cheese should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about possible listeria exposure.
Additionally, people who have consumed the recalled product should monitor themselves for symptoms over the next few weeks, as it can take up to 70 days after exposure to listeria for listeriosis symptoms to appear.
Symptoms of listeria infection include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle pain, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are needed to diagnose listeria infection, which can mimic other illnesses.
People like pregnant women, the elderly, children, and cancer patients with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk for serious illness, life-threatening infections, other complications, and death. Infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, but the infection can cause premature delivery, neonatal infection, and even stillbirth.
