A California cheese and dairy company is the source of a decade-long Listeria food poisoning outbreak that has killed two people and sickened more than 20 others, federal health officials announced Tuesday.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new laboratory and testing evidence links soft cheese and other dairy products manufactured by Rizzo Lopez Foods of Modesto, Calif., to an infectious disease first discovered in June 2014. It is said to have shown a connection with the epidemic.
Since then, at least 26 people have become ill in 11 states. CDC officials said these include one person who died in California in 2017 and one person who died in Texas in 2020.
The company announced Monday that the products sold under the brands Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizzo Brothers, Rio Grande, Food City, El Huache, La Ordena, San Carlos, Campesino, Santa Maria and Dos More than 60 types of soft cheese, yogurt, and sour cream have been recalled. Ranchitos, Casa Cardenas, 365 Whole Foods Market.
The CDC previously investigated food poisoning incidents related to queso fresco and other similar types of cheese in 2017 and 2021, but there was not enough evidence to determine the source.
In December, new illnesses were reported and the CDC restarted the investigation. The Listeria monocytogenes strain linked to the outbreak was found in cheese samples from Rizzo Lopez Foods. Federal authorities have acknowledged that the queso fresco and cotija produced by the company are making people sick.
The recalled products are available at stores and deli counters nationwide, including El Super, Cardenas Market, Northgate Gonzalez, Superior Grocers, El Rancho, Vallarta, Food City, La Michoacana, and Numero Uno Market. It was in circulation.
Listeria infection can cause serious illness and, in rare cases, death. People who are pregnant, over 65, or have a weakened immune system are especially vulnerable. Symptoms, such as muscle aches, fever, and fatigue, usually begin within two weeks of eating the contaminated food, but they can start earlier or later.
The CDC said consumers who have these products should throw them away and thoroughly clean refrigerators, counters, and other high-touch areas. Listeria monocytogenes can survive in refrigerators and easily contaminate other foods and surfaces.
