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orywireCDC and FDA say consumers should not eat, sell or serve recalled Clover Hill Dairy requesón/soft ricotta cheese as a Listeria outbreak investigation remains open. The recall includes plain and flavored soft cheese that may have been sold under different labels.
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Clover Hill Dairy’s recall of requesón/soft ricotta cheese remains active as CDC and FDA investigate a Listeria outbreak linked to soft cheese. Consumers should not eat recalled cheese; they should throw it away or return it, and businesses should not sell or serve it.
CDC said in its June 9 update that the investigation is open and that nine people in three states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria. Eight people have been hospitalized, and one death has been reported in Maryland.
FDA says Clover Hill Dairy, of Mechanicsville, Maryland, recalled all soft ricotta/requeson cheese manufactured at the firm. The recall includes plain cheese and varieties that may have jalapeño or other flavors.
The recalled cheese was sold directly to consumers, at retail locations and through bulk distributors. Some bulk cheese may have been repackaged or relabeled before sale, so the label on a container may not always say Clover Hill Dairy.
A related recall by Nelson & Isa Lacteos LLC, of Bay Shore, New York, covers 1-pound packages of requeson cheese sold in plastic clamshells at retail locations in New York from May 15 through May 28, 2026. FDA says that product was likely repacked at retail locations, so labeling and coding may vary.
Clover Hill soft ricotta/requeson cheese was distributed from May 4 through May 30, 2026, in North Carolina, New York, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., according to FDA and CDC. Federal officials said the cheese could have been distributed further.
For Clover Hill-branded clamshell containers, consumers should look for manufacturer permit or plant number “24-128.” For repackaged cheese, FDA and CDC say consumers should check the manufacturer information on the package, if available.
Bulk cheese may have been sold under distributor brand names including Kesso, Quesos la Ricura, Izalco, De mi Pueblo and Rio Lindo. The federal notices do not list one universal UPC for all affected products.
For the Nelson & Isa Lacteos recall, FDA says testing found Listeria monocytogenes in an unopened 18-pound container of “Clover Hill Dairy Requeson Cheese” with a sell-by date of 6/14/26 and batch number 2AA051526. That recall covers 1-pound containers repackaged from the same Listeria-positive batch.
CDC and FDA are investigating what FDA described as a multistate, multiyear outbreak linked to requeson, a soft cheese similar to ricotta, manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy.
As of June 9, CDC said nine illnesses had been reported in Maryland, New York and Virginia. Sick people’s samples were collected from March 6, 2023, to May 10, 2026.
Public health investigators found Listeria in a sample of repackaged requeson collected at a New York retail location and in an unopened 18-pound bucket supplied by Clover Hill Dairy, according to CDC and FDA. The agencies said whole genome sequencing, a DNA fingerprinting method, showed the Listeria strain from the cheese matched the outbreak strain.
FDA said its traceback investigation is ongoing, and additional products may be affected.
Consumers should not eat recalled soft ricotta/requeson cheese. FDA says to check refrigerators and freezers for recalled cheese and either throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.
If cheese was frozen without its original packaging and you cannot tell whether it is part of the recall, FDA says to throw it away.
Consumers, restaurants and retailers should clean and sanitize any refrigerators, containers, counters or other surfaces that may have touched recalled cheese. CDC and FDA warn that Listeria can survive at refrigerator temperatures and can spread to other foods and surfaces.
Businesses should not sell or serve recalled cheese. Clover Hill Dairy’s recall notice said consumers may return recalled product in its original packaging for a full refund and may contact the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission on behalf of Clover Hill Dairy at 240-528-8850, extension 327.
CDC says Listeria is especially harmful for pregnant people, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. FDA advises people at higher risk for severe Listeria illness not to eat any queso fresco-type cheese, including soft ricotta/requeson.
Symptoms usually start within two weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria but may begin as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks later, CDC and FDA say.
Pregnant people may have fever, muscle aches and tiredness. Other people may have headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, in addition to fever, muscle aches and tiredness. Anyone with symptoms after eating recalled cheese should contact a health care provider.
The Maryland Department of Health said it suspended Clover Hill Dairy’s operating license because of the public health risk and is conducting a follow-up evaluation with the facility.
The investigation remains open. Consumers should watch for updates if FDA or CDC add products, distribution states, case counts or new instructions for soft ricotta, requeson or queso fresco-type cheeses.
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