More Products With Cheese From Rizo Lopez Recalled Over Listeria Concern

(RTTNews) - Amid the ongoing Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, more and more products containing tainted cheese and other ingredients supplied by Rizo Lopez Foods Inc. are being recalled, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In the latest developments, Fresh Creative Foods, a division of Reser's Fine Foods, Inc., has called back certain cremas, everything sauces, cilantro cotija dressing, poblano Caesar dressing, cilantro dressing and one taco kit, all made with a cheese ingredient supplied by Rizo Lopez.

Further, Simply Fresh LLC. is recalling its Rojo's Black Bean 6 Layer Dip 2-20oz Club Pack sold only at Costco. The product contains Rizo Lopez's recalled cotija cheese.

The multi-year, multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections, which caused 26 illnesses with 23 hospitalizations in 11 states, are linked to queso fresco and cotija cheeses manufactured by Modesto, California -based Rizo Lopez.

Listeria Monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Meanwhile, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The outbreak includes cases dating back to 2014 and is currently ongoing. CDC investigated this outbreak in 2017 and 2021.

The CDC and FDA reopened the investigation in January 2024 after new illnesses were reported in December 2023. The whole genome sequencing analysis of the cotija cheese sample showed that it is the same strain of Listeria that is causing illnesses in this outbreak.

Earlier this week, the FDA issued an outbreak advisory warning consumers not to eat, sell, or serve recalled brands of cheeses, sour creams (cremas), or yogurts manufactured by Rizo Lopez.

Rizo Lopez in mid-January had called back Rizo Bros Aged Cotija Mexican Grating Cheese after the FDA found outbreak connection with its products.

Earlier this week, the company expanded its recall to include further dairy products, such as cheese, yogurt, and sour cream sold under the brand names Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros, Rio Grande, Food City, El Huache, La Ordena, San Carlos, Campesino, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Casa Cardenas, and 365 Whole Foods Market.

Rizo Lopez also temporarily ceased the production and distribution of these products.

Meanwhile, the investigation by FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, is ongoing.

In the latest recalls, Fresh Creative's recalled dressings are sold in bottles, while the taco kit is sold in a clear clamshell container with a printed carboard band. The impacted dressings and kits were distributed to retail outlets including Costco, H-E-B, Trader Joe's and Albertson's in around 16 states.

Simply Fresh's recalled product comes in 2/20oz container with various Best If Use By dates and lot numbers. A total of 7,350 cases were distributed to Costco stores in Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, and Utah.

In both new recalls, the companies have not received any consumer complaints or harmful effects related to the imacted products to date.

Fresh Creative asked consumers are urged to take the affected products back to the store for a refund or discard them.

Simply Fresh urged its customers to dispose of them immediately.

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