Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, MD, has expanded its recall of its soft ricotta/requeson cheese to include all of the cheese because it has been linked to an outbreak of Listeria infections.
The implicated cheese was distributed from May 4 through May 30 in North Carolina, New York, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington D.C. through bulk distributors, retail stores and directly to consumers.
Clover Hills requeson cheese was sold in retail size packaging as 10-, 12- and 14-ounce individually packaged clamshell containers.
For clamshell containers with the Clover Hill Dairy Cheese brand name, consumers should look for Clover Hill Dairy’s plant number 24-128 on the product label to assist with identifying recalled product. Some of the cheese has been repackaged and does not have any identifying labels.
The recalled cheese was also sold in bulk 5-gallon and 2-gallon buckets to some customers who repackaged the cheese. The bulk cheese may be repackaged under individual bulk distributor brand names including but not limited to: KESSO, QUESOS LA RICURA, IZALCO, DE MI PUEBLO, RIO LINDO.
The Clover Hill soft ricotta/requeson cheese has been linked to nine patients, one of whom died.
Clover Hill Dairy has ceased production and distribution of all cheese products.
About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled cheese and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.
Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop.
Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses.
Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.