Federal health officials are urging consumers to check their refrigerators after a soft ricotta-style cheese was linked to a Listeria outbreak that has killed one person and sickened at least eight others across Maryland, New York and Virginia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Testing has identified Listeria monocytogenes in Clover Hill Dairy requesón, a soft ricotta-style cheese sold at grocery stores, farmers markets and other retail locations. The company has recalled all affected products, including flavored varieties such as jalapeño, which carry the plant code “24-128.”
The Maryland Department of Health has suspended the company’s operating license while federal and state investigators continue working to determine whether additional products may be involved.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are advising consumers not to eat recalled requesón or similar soft cheeses and to discard any products that match the recall. They are also urging people to clean refrigerators, containers and surfaces that may have come into contact with the product, noting that Listeria can survive and grow in refrigerated environments and spread to other foods.
Symptoms of Listeria infection can take up to 10 weeks to appear after exposure and may include fever, muscle aches, headache, confusion and loss of balance. Pregnant people, older adults and those with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for severe illness.
Soft cheeses such as requesón are considered higher-risk foods for Listeria contamination, particularly when made with unpasteurized milk or during processing that allows bacteria to persist in refrigerated conditions.
Health officials said the investigation remains ongoing.
