Cheese Recall Expanded Following Death and Hospitalizations Linked to Listeria Outbreak

The company said the recalled soft cheese products have been linked to nine illnesses, including eight hospitalisations and one death.

Kelly McBride Ni

Published: 6/24/2026, 11:44:10 PM EDT

Cheese Recall Expanded Following Death and Hospitalizations Linked to Listeria Outbreak — Recalled Clover Hill Dairy cheese products. (FDA)

Clover Hill Dairy has expanded its cheese recall to include all of its products after a listeria outbreak that has sickened nine people, hospitalized eight, and resulted in one death, according to a June 18 recall notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The expanded recall applies to all Clover Hill Dairy brand cheeses currently on the market due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause severe illness and death.

The company reported that the nine illnesses, including eight hospitalizations and one death, are linked to the recalled soft cheese products.

The affected cheeses were sold directly through Clover Hill Dairy’s retail market, at farmers' markets, and through third-party distributors in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.

Some products may have been relabeled and sold under various brand names, including Kesso, Quesos La Ricura, Izalco, De Mi Pueblo, and Rio Lindo. Consumers are urged to check the package information on their cheese.

The recall encompasses a variety of hard and soft cheeses, including ricotta, soft cuajada in brine, vacuum-sealed soft cuajada, cheddar varieties, white Colby, Monterey Jack, Marble Jack, fresh cheddar curd, pepper jack varieties, and flavored cheeses such as horseradish and Old Bay cheddar. Products were sold in multiple package sizes, ranging from snack packs to 40-pound bulk quantities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria is the third-leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States.

Symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Some individuals could experience diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms before a more severe illness develops.

The CDC advises that older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of severe illness.

Clover Hill Dairy advises consumers not to eat, sell, or serve any recalled cheese products.

"Clover Hill Dairy board and staff members sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and hardships caused by this recall, and we sincerely hope to correct this problem as soon as it is safely possible. Thank you for your understanding, we look forward to serving our valued customers again in the near future," the company said in the recall notice.

A smaller recall for Clover Hill Dairy’s Soft Ricotta/Requesón Cheese was issued on June 9 after the company was notified by the Maryland Department of Health about a public health concern.

Customers can return the recalled items to the place of purchase for a full refund. For questions regarding the recall, contact the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, acting on behalf of Clover Hill Dairy, at 240-528-8850, extension 327.