Clover Hill Dairy is recalling all of its cheese products across multiple U.S. states following a deadly Listeria outbreak [1].

The expansion of the recall highlights the risk of contaminated dairy products entering the wider food supply chain through bulk distribution and repackaging.

Health officials said the outbreak has sickened nine people and caused one death [2]. While the recall originally focused on ricotta products [3], it now encompasses all cheeses produced by Clover Hill Dairy [4]. This includes bulk products sold in two-gallon and five-gallon buckets [5].

Because these bulk products are often repackaged, the recall affects several different brand names. These include KESSO, QUESOS LA RICURA, IZALCO, DE MI PUEBLO, and RIO LINDO [5].

Maryland health officials took direct action to stop further distribution of the contaminated products. The state suspended the license of Clover Hill Dairy on May 30, 2024 [6].

Listeria is a bacterium that can survive in cold environments, including refrigerators, and can cause severe infections in vulnerable populations. The current recall effort seeks to remove all potentially contaminated stock from retail and wholesale channels across the affected states [1], [3].

“The outbreak has sickened nine people and caused one death.”

The inclusion of multiple brand names like KESSO and IZALCO indicates that Clover Hill Dairy acted as a primary supplier for other labels. This complexity in the supply chain means consumers may have purchased contaminated cheese without seeing the Clover Hill name on the packaging, increasing the difficulty of the recall process.