Clover Hill Dairy has expanded a recall of all its cheese products across multiple U.S. states following a deadly Listeria outbreak.

The recall highlights the critical risks associated with foodborne pathogens in dairy production, where contamination can lead to severe illness and death.

Health officials linked the outbreak to *Listeria monocytogenes* contamination found in the dairy's products [1, 2]. The contamination has sickened nine people and caused one death [1].

In response to the public health crisis, Maryland health officials suspended the dairy's license on May 30, 2024 [2]. This regulatory action occurred shortly before the recall was announced in late May 2024 [2].

The scope of the recall is extensive, covering all cheese varieties produced by the facility. Specific packaging involved in the recall includes bulk containers, specifically five-gallon and two-gallon buckets [2].

Listeria is a bacterium that can survive and grow in cool, moist environments, including refrigeration. When it enters the bloodstream, it can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

Consumers who have purchased Clover Hill Dairy products are urged to check their labels and discard any affected items immediately. The company said it is working with regulators to identify the source of the contamination within its production chain to prevent further incidents [1, 3].

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

This incident underscores the vulnerability of artisanal and small-scale dairy operations to systemic contamination. The suspension of the operating license in Maryland suggests that regulatory bodies found significant failures in food safety protocols. Because Listeria can persist in food processing environments, the expanded recall of all products indicates a high level of confidence that the contamination was widespread rather than isolated to a single batch.