Massive cottage cheese recall expands after 1 death, 12 illnesses
Soft cheese recalls can be especially serious because the products are often eaten without further cooking. For restaurants, small grocery stores, and specialty markets that sell refrigerated cheese products for everyday meals, it is critical to monitor recalls. And anyone who purchases soft ...
Overview
Soft cheese recalls can be especially serious because the products are often eaten without further cooking.
For restaurants, small grocery stores, and specialty markets that sell refrigerated cheese products for everyday meals, it is critical to monitor recalls. And anyone who purchases soft cheeses to consume at home should also pay attention.
Listeria can survive in cold temperatures, making refrigerator and freezer checks more important than they may seem.
A new recall from La Ceiba Foods Latin Market Inc. is now part of a broader federal investigation into a multi-state, multi-year Listeria outbreak linked to requeson, a soft cheese similar to ricotta.
The recall covers certain Salvadoran and Mexican cottage cheese-style products sold under the La Colonia and Selectos Latinos brands.
It also includes Clover Hill bulk requeson product listed in the recall table, according to a company announcement posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The recall was announced on June 26, and the FDA published the notice the same day.
Cheese recalled sold in stores and restaurants
La Ceiba Foods is recalling Requeson Salvadoreno and Requeson Mexicano products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
The recalled products were distributed to supermarkets, retail stores, and restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. from May 11 through June 1, 2026.
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The affected products include:
- La Colonia Salvadoreno Requeson, Soft Ricotta Cheese, 14 oz., UPC 736846383099
- Selectos Latinos Requeson Salvadoreno, Ricotta Style Salvadorean Style Cheese, 16 oz., UPC 767787984526
- Selectos Latinos Requeson Mexicano, Mexican Cottage Cheese, 16 oz., UPC 767787984519
- Clover Hill Buket of Requeson, 18 lb.
All affected products listed by La Ceiba have an expiration date of July 10, 2026.
The recall includes all lots and batches within expiry, meaning consumers should not rely solely on whether the package looks familiar or was recently purchased.
Consumers are being told not to eat, sell, or serve the recalled products. The company said the products should be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund.
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Cheese recall reaches more states
This La Ceiba recall is tied to a supplier issue involving Clover Hill Dairy, LLC of Mechanicsville, MD.
La Ceiba said it initiated the recall after being notified by Clover Hill Dairy of a recall due to possible Listeria contamination in products manufactured at that facility.
That connection broadens the consumer risk beyond a single package or label.
On June 18, Clover Hill Dairy expanded its recall to include all Clover Hill Dairy brand cheese currently on the market.
The expanded recall includes hard and soft cheeses, including:
- Ricotta
- Requeson
- Cuajada
- Cheddar
- Monterey Jack
- Pepper jack
- Smoked cheddar
- Flavored cheeses, and
- several snack-pack varieties.
The FDA says recalled La Ceiba products were distributed to supermarkets, retail stores, and restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Separately, recalled Clover Hill Dairy products were sold directly from the company’s retail market, at farmers' markets, and through third-party distributors in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Federal officials also said the product could have been distributed further.
Some Clover Hill Dairy products may have been relabeled under different brand names when distributed.
The FDA said those names include, but are not limited to:
- Kesso
- Quesos La Ricura
- Izalco
- De Mi Pueblo
- Rio Lindo
That makes the recall more complicated for shoppers because the product in a refrigerator may not clearly say Clover Hill Dairy on the front label.
Details
Federal officials advise consumers to check the manufacturer information on packages when available.
Clover Hill Dairy products may identify the manufacturer permit or plant number as 24-128.
The broader Clover Hill recall includes soft ricotta or requeson cheese sold in 10-ounce, 12-ounce, and 14-ounce clamshell containers.
Some bulk five-gallon and two-gallon buckets were also sold to some customers who may have repackaged the cheese.
FDA also lists a linked recall from Nelson & Isa Lacteos LLC of Bay Shore, N.Y., involving 1-pound packages of requeson cheese sold in plastic clamshells at these New York retail locations from May 15 to May 28, 2026.
The FDA said that the product was likely repacked at retail store locations, so labeling or coding may vary depending on where it was purchased.
FDA says investigation is ongoing
The FDA and CDC are investigating a multi-state, multi-year outbreak of Listeria infections linked to requeson manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy.
According to the latest FDA and CDC updates, 12 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations, and 1 death have been reported.
Cases were reported in Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Virginia.
The FDA said sick people’s samples were collected from March 6, 2023, to June 2, 2026. Of 10 people interviewed, nine reported eating cheese, and two reported eating requeson made by Clover Hill Dairy.
Maryland health officials previously issued a consumer advisory on June 3 for Clover Hill Dairy requeson and soft ricotta products.
The Maryland Department of Health later said it suspended the facility’s operating license on May 30 due to a public health risk and expanded the advisory on June 14 to include all cheese products made by Clover Hill Dairy.
Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.
Healthy people may experience fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Symptoms usually begin within 2 weeks of eating contaminated food, according to federal health officials, but they can start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks later.
In pregnant women, Listeria infection can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of a newborn.
Federal officials advise consumers to check refrigerators and freezers for recalled cheese.
If a consumer froze cheese and can no longer tell whether it is part of the recall, the FDA says it should be thrown away.
Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received recalled cheese should also clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers the cheese touched, as Listeria can survive in refrigerated temperatures and spread to other foods and surfaces.
Consumers with questions can contact the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission on behalf of Clover Hill Dairy.
Related: Publix fruit recalled after E. coli sicknesses
Source
Originally published at www.thestreet.com.
