2024 has not been a great year for Cheese Lovers. Beginning in mid-January, reports from the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) concerning Cotija Cheese and its recall due to possible Listeria Monocytogenes contamination. Then, an E. coli infection outbreak was linked to Raw Cheddar Cheese in mid-February.

The latest recall can be tied back to the Cotija Cheese incident with Listeria. As the FDA investigation continues, more products and companies have voluntarily recalled their cheese products.

In a recent move, Sargento has recalled their shredded and grated cheese products due to possible listeria contamination. The brand of Sargento cheese was not sold in traditional grocery stores but to food services distributed in 16 states, including Washington, California, and Nevada, and has been linked back to California-based Rizo-Lopez Foods Inc.

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With the initial FDA report on the Rizo-Lopez recall, as of February 22nd, there have been 26 reported illnesses with 2 deaths and 23 hospitalizations in 11 states.

Recalled dairy products with brand names include:

Bright Farms, Campesino, Casa Cardenas, Dole, Don Pancho, Dos Ranchitos, Food City, Fresh & Ready Foods, Ready Pac Bistro, Sprig & Sprout (S&S), Trader Joe’s, 365 Whole Foods Market, and many others.

Stores that sold food kits which may have included the recalled cheese.

Albertsons, Safeway, Costco, Eagle, Shaw’s, and Vons (among others) are retailers that are sold the products in question. More information about the recalled products (sizes, UPCs, descriptions) can be found here and here.

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In a nutshell, the cheese and dairy products in question originated from Rizo-Lopez, Inc. For more information on establishments that received products, click here.

What If I Have Recalled Products?

Do not eat, sell, or serve the recalled products. Dispose of the product and thoroughly clean and sanitize any surface the food may have touched.

Symptoms of Listeria

Symptoms of Listeria can be mild or severe and can be felt within 2 weeks after consuming contaminated food. On the mild side, fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and exhaustion may be felt. More severe symptoms include headache, confusion, stiff neck, convulsions, and loss of balance. Consult your healthcare provider if you have any of the symptoms of Listeria.