Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts (USA and Canada only): February 8, 2024

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

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United States

OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION: The FDA, CDC, and state and local partners are investigating a deadly decade-long Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has been traced to queso fresco and cotija cheeses manufactured by Rizo-López Foods, Inc. of Modesto, California. Twenty-six outbreak cases have been confirmed in eleven states since mid-2014; twenty-three of the victims required hospitalization. The outbreak strain has been recovered from a sample of cotija cheese and from an environmental sample collected by FDA investigators during their inspection of the manufacturing facility. Multiple recalls have been announced. Please see below for details.

Food Safety Recall (Listeria outbreak): Rizo-López Foods, Inc. recalls multiple cheese, yogurt, and sour cream products sold 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, due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled products.

Food Safety Recall (Listeria outbreak): Simply Fresh LLC recalls Rojos Black Bean 6 Layer Dip (2/20oz round plastic container; Best if used by Feb 06 2024, Feb 14 2024, Feb 16 2024, Feb 21 2024, Feb 23 2024, Feb 29 2024, Mar 02 2024, Mar 07 2024, Mar 09 2024, Mar 14 2024, Mar 21 2024, Mar 22 2024) due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Listeria outbreak): Fresh Creative Foods, a division of Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. recalls certain cremas, everything sauces, cilantro cotija dressing, poblano Caesar dressing, cilantro dressing and one taco kit due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled products, which were distributed to retail outlets including Costco, H-E-B, Trader Joe’s and Albertson’s in the following states: CA, CT, FL, ID, IL, MD, MT, NJ, NV, OR, PA, SD, TX, UT, VA, and WA.

Food Safety Recall (Listeria outbreak): Trader Joe’s recalls Trader Joe’s Chicken Enchiladas Verde (SKU 58292), Trader Joe’s Cilantro Salad Dressing (SKU 36420), Trader Joe’s Elote Chopped Salad Kit (SKU 74768), and Trader Joe’s Southwest Salad (SKU 56077) due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Listeria outbreak): Albertsons Companies recalls five ReadyMeals and store-made taco kits supplied by Fresh Creative Foods due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled products.

Public Health Alert: FSIS issues public health alert for Trader Joe’s Chicken, Lentil, & Caramelized Onion Pilaf WITH SAFFRON BASMATI RICE, DARK CHICKEN MEAT, DATES & GOLDEN RAISINS (14-oz. plastic packages; Produced on various dates from November 1, 2023, through January 19, 2024) due to possible foreign matter contamination (rocks). The specified product is no longer available for sale. Consumers who may have purchased the product should check their freezers.

Allergy Alert: Richelieu Foods Inc. recalls 365 Whole Foods Market Vegan Ultimate Veggie Thin Crust Pizza (13.7 oz; Lot code 06152024; Best by 6/15/2024) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert: Summer Fresh Salads Inc. recalls Wegmans Harissa Hummus Topped With Harissa (10.5 oz; Lots 240239 and 240309; Expiry dates 03/19/2024 and 03/26/2024, respectively) due to undeclared sesame.

Food Safety Recall: Nam & Son of MD recalls Soybean sprouts (1-lb bags; Sell by December 21, 2023) due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: The Quaker Oats Company expands its earlier recall to include one additional granola bar due to potential Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled products.

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Canada

Food Safety Recall (Listeria outbreak): Taylor Fresh Canada Foods, ULC recalls President’s Choice brand Chopped Mexican-Style Street Corn Salad Kit (285g; All best before dates up to and including 2024 FE 19; UPC 0 60383 03491 7) and Taylor Farms brand Mexican Style Street Corn Salad Kit (2 x 335g; All best before dates up to and including 24 FE 19; UPC 0 30223 06191 5) due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Listeria outbreak): Simply Fresh Foods LLC. recalls Rojo’s brand Black Bean 6 Layer Dip (2 x 1.13 kg; Best before 24 FE 06, 24 FE 14, 24 FE 23, 24 FE 29, 24 MR 07, 24 MR 14, 24 MR 15; UPC 0 44276 01842 0) due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Bauman’s Country Meat Shop recalls Bauman’s Country Meat Shop brand Large Summer Sausage (~7 lb; Best before 2024.AU10) and Bauman’s Country Meat Shop brand Small Summer Sausage (~3 lb; Best before 2024.AU10) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

TAINTED formats 3
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FDA identifies source of decade-long Listeria outbreak

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) have identified queso fresco and cotija cheese manufactured by Rizo Lopez Foods (Modesto, CA) as the source of a deadly outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes illnesses that has gone unsolved for almost ten years.

Since June 2014, the outbreak has caused twenty-six illnesses, including two deaths. Twenty-three of the outbreak victims required hospitalization. Confirmed cases have been reported in eleven states.

The CDC investigated this outbreak twice before (in 2017 and 2021). Although epidemiological evidence pointed to queso fresco and other similar cheeses as the likely source at that time, health authorities were unable to trace the illnesses to a specific manufacturer.

The breakthrough came in January 2024, when the Hawaii State Department of Health found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of Rizo Bros Aged Cotija cheese.

In response to the finding, the company recalled the contaminated production batch, and the FDA initiated an inspection of the Modesto, California, manufacturing facility.

While the inspection has not yet been completed, the FDA revealed yesterday (February 6, 2024) that it had recovered Listeria monocytogenes from an environmental sample collected at the plant. Whole genome sequencing carried out on the strain recovered from both the cotija sample and the environmental sample revealed that these were a match for the outbreak strain that has been circulating since 2014.

Rizo Lopez has now expanded its initial recall to encompass cheese, yogurt, and sour cream sold 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. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

As is often the case, the manufacturer’s recall has triggered secondary recalls.

  • Simply Fresh LLC recalled Rojo’s Black Bean 6 Layer Dip 2-20oz Club Pack (multiple Use-by date codes), because the product contains cotija cheese supplied by Rizo Lopez.
  • Fresh Creative Foods, a division of Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. has recalled certain cremas, everything sauces, cilantro cotija dressing, poblano Caesar dressing, cilantro dressing and one taco kit that contain a cheese ingredient supplied by Rizo Lopez.

It is likely that additional secondary recalls will follow.

What to do?

The FDA offers this guidance to consumers, retailers, and restaurants:

  • Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled brands of cheeses, sour creams (cremas), or yogurts manufactured by Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc.
  • Check your refrigerators and freezers for any recalled products and throw them away. If you froze a product without the original packaging and can’t tell if it is part of the recall, throw it away.
  • Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received recalled products, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched. Follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Listeria can survive in refrigerated temperatures and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.  
  • If you have symptoms of listeriosis you should contact your health care provider to report your symptoms and receive care.

At-risk individuals should pay special attention to the following:

  • Listeria is most likely to sicken pregnant people and newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.
  • Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
  • Call your healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms of a Listeria infection.
TAINTED formats 3
“Reads like a true crime novel” – Food Safety News

Interested in learning more about food safety and the history of foodborne disease outbreaks and investigations?

Click on the link to listen to a short excerpt, then follow the buy links to add a digital, print or audio copy to your personal library.

Chapter 6. Birth of a Pathogen

TAINTED is available in digital format from all major on-line retailers. Press the button to go directly to your preferred digital bookstore.

Amazon
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Smashwords
Chapters/Indigo

Taking a break

eFoodAlert is taking a winter break to recharge our batteries.

We’ll be back on February 9th, refreshed and ready to keep you informed of the latest developments in human and pet food safety issues.

One story we’ll be watching closely is the Purina situation. For some background, check out The Purina Affair podcast interview on The Petropolist.