The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has broadened the scope of food vendors mandated to recall products containing cheese from a California producer suspected to be connected to a nationwide listeria outbreak, which has resulted in two fatalities and numerous hospitalizations.
On Saturday, the federal agency included three additional products from various companies to an expanding roster of recalls due to concerns that they might contain potentially tainted queso fresco and cotija cheeses produced by Rizo-López Foods, located in Modesto, California.
This development follows the voluntary recall of several items in preceding days, such as salad kits, taco meals, and bottles of dressing, due to the same issue.
At Least 16 Products Recalled for Contaminated Cheeses
Currently, at least 16 products containing the implicated cheeses have been recalled.
On February 5, Rizo-López Foods initiated a voluntary recall of all its dairy products.
The FDA noted that, based on information provided to them and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the company “might represent a potential source of illness in an ongoing nationwide listeria monocytogenes outbreak.”
According to the CDC, this ongoing outbreak has resulted in 26 reported cases of illness, comprising 23 hospitalizations and two fatalities across 11 states, with the largest share of cases occurring in California.
Listeria Infection: Symptoms & Severity
Infection with listeria bacteria can manifest in various symptoms, with the most severe impact typically observed in individuals with compromised immune systems, the elderly, pregnant women, and newborns.
Severe symptoms may include miscarriages, stillbirths, seizures, and fatality.
Individuals less severely impacted may experience symptoms such as fever, headaches, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and confusion.
