A popular soft cheese has been recalled amid an ongoing investigation of a listeria outbreak in the U.S., where at least eight people have gotten sick.
According to a Thursday announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland, has recalled its requeson cheese after a sampling identified Listeria monocytogenes — a bacterium that could cause a serious form of food poisoning — in the product.
The FDA said that according to information collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “eight people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from” Maryland, New York and Virginia. One person has died and seven people have been hospitalized, the FDA said.
“Sick people’s samples were collected on dates ranging from March 6, 2023, to May 9, 2026,” the FDA continued. “Of the seven people interviewed, five reported eating any cheese. Two people (29 percent) reported eating requeson made by Clover Hill Dairy.”
According to the FDA, “the strain of Listeria found in the requeson cheese matches the strain of Listeria causing illnesses in the two New York cases who reported purchasing cheese” from a retailer in Brentwood on Long Island.
Affected products can be identified with the Clover Hill Dairy manufacturer permit number as “24-128.” The cheese, which may have jalapeño or other flavors, was sold directly from Clover Hill Dairy retail markets in Maryland and through different retailers in New York and Virginia.
However, the federal agency added, “There is not enough evidence to determine if the recalled cheese can explain the entire outbreak. FDA is in the early stages of this investigation, additional products may be impacted, and further testing by FDA and state partners is underway.”
Consumers who have the recalled cheese should throw it away immediately and clean any surfaces that may have come in contact with it.
Along with the recalled cheese, an unopened 18-pound sealed bucket of requeson manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy has tested positive for Listeria. An analysis of that cheese is still pending. The Maryland Department of Health has suspended Clover Hill Dairy’s operating license and conducted a follow-up evaluation in cooperation with the facility.
According to the CDC, listeria are “bacteria that can contaminate many foods” and lead to foodborne illnesses when consumed. Although symptoms can vary, a listeria infection can cause invasive and intestinal illness. Short-term symptoms among healthy individuals can include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea and abdominal pain.
Listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, killing roughly 172 people per year, as noted by the CDC.
The requeson cheese isn’t the only food product that has recently raised concerns about a health risk. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for Daisy Brand headcheese due to potential listeria contamination. However, a recall wasn’t issued because the products were no longer available for purchase.
