Decade-long Listeria outbreak linked to recalled dairy products
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Key takeaways:
- A Listeria outbreak linked to dairy products has caused 26 illness and two deaths since 2014.
- Rizo-López Foods has recalled nearly 60 products that are potentially contaminated.
An investigation linked recent cases of Listeria infection in the United States to older cases dating back to 2014, connecting them as one continuous outbreak linked to recalled dairy products, the CDC said.
In January, CDC and FDA investigators identified Listeria in a variety of cheeses, yogurts and other dairy products made by Rizo-López Foods and in their manufacturing facility in Modesto, California. On Feb. 6, the company initiated a recall of nearly 60 affected products sold nationwide under more than a dozen brand names.
According to the CDC, there have been 26 illnesses linked to the outbreak since 2014, including 23 hospitalizations and two deaths in 11 states.
Previous multiyear Listeria outbreaks have been caused by peaches, nectarines and plums, brie and camembert cheese and packaged salads, each of which lasted at least 5 years.
“It is not uncommon for Listeria outbreaks to span multiple years,” Katia Martinez, a spokesperson in the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, told Healio. “This is because Listeria is a hardy germ that can be difficult to remove from food-processing facilities. If the source of contamination is not identified, Listeria on the contaminated equipment of surface can remain for many years, continue to spread to food and [continue to] make people sick.”
The CDC previously investigated the outbreak in 2017 and 2021. Although queso fresco and other cheeses were identified as a potential source, investigators were not able to identify a brand in either investigation, according to the FDA.
A sample of Rizo Bros Aged Cotija cheese tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes by the Hawaii State Department of Health in January 2024, leading to a voluntary recall of one batch of the cheese. That month, both the CDC and the FDA reopened the investigation after whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of new illnesses in December 2023 showed it to be the same Listeria strain causing illnesses in this outbreak.
Among 22 people interviewed by the CDC, 73% recalled eating queso fresco, cotija or other similar cheeses, with three people who got sick between 2014 and 2022 reporting Don Francisco bran queso fresco or cotija.
The FDA investigated the Rizo López Foods manufacturing facility, finding an environmental sample that tested positive for the same Listeria strain as the one in the outbreak.
Rizo López Foods has since initiated a recall of 58 products sold nationwide under the brand names Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros, Rio Grande, Food City, El Huache, La Ordena, San Carlos, Campesino, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Casa Cardenas and 365 Whole Foods Market.
According to the FDA, the company has ceased production and distribution of all 58 products while the investigation continues.
“WGS showed that the Listeria bacteria from 26 sick peoples’ samples from 2014 to present are closely related genetically,” Martinez said. “This suggests that these people are part of the same outbreak and got sick from the same food.”
References:
- CDC. Listeria: Listeria outbreak linked to brie and camembert cheese. https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/monocytogenes-09-22/index.html. Last reviewed Dec. 9, 2022. Accessed Feb. 8, 2024.
- CDC. Listeria: Listeria outbreak linked to packaged salads produced by Dole. https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/packaged-salad-mix-12-21/index.html. Last reviewed April 4, 2022. Accessed Feb. 8, 2024.
- CDC. Listeria: Listeria outbreak linked to peaches, nectarines and plums. https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/peaches-11-23/index.html. Last reviewed Jan. 30, 2024. Accessed Feb. 8, 2024.
- CDC. Listeria: Listeria outbreak linked to queso fresco and cotija cheese. https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/cheese-02-24/index.html. Last reviewed Feb. 6, 2024. Accessed Feb. 8, 2024.
- FDA. Outbreak investigation of Listeria monocytogenes: Queso fresco and cotija cheese (February 2024). https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-queso-fresco-and-cotija-cheese-february-2024. Published Feb. 5, 2024. Accessed Feb. 8, 2024.
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