Listeria Outbreak Investigation linked to Soft Cheese

United States

Update June 18th, 2026:
Clover Hill Dairy, LLC of Mechanicsville, Maryland, has expanded its recall to include all cheese products currently on the market that were manufactured at its facility due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The expanded recall follows the Maryland Department of Health's consumer advisory and includes a wide range of cheese products beyond the previously recalled ricotta/requeson products, including cuajada, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, pepper jack, smoked cheeses, cheese curds, snack packs, and flavored cheese varieties sold under the Clover Hill Dairy brand.

Consumers are advised not to consume any recalled cheese products and to check packaging for Clover Hill Dairy manufacturer permit number 24-128 when available.

The FDA's investigation remains ongoing.

Source: FDA


Update June 15th, 2026:
The Maryland Department of Health has expanded its consumer advisory to include all cheese products manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy, LLC of Mechanicsville, Maryland, due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. FDA is working with Maryland state officials and Clover Hill Dairy to initiate an expanded recall covering all products produced at the facility.

As part of the ongoing investigation, FDA and state partners have identified six samples of requeson cheese and one environmental sample that tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes and matched the outbreak strain through laboratory analysis.

The outbreak totals remain unchanged at 9 illnesses, 8 hospitalizations, and 1 death reported across Maryland, New York, and Virginia.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional products may be added as more information becomes available.

Source: FDA, Maryland Department of Health.


Update June 12th, 2026:
The FDA has updated the Nelson & Isa Lacteos, LLC recall announcement to include a list of retail locations that may have received recalled requeson cheese associated with the ongoing Listeria outbreak investigation.

According to the FDA, the list may not include all locations that received the recalled product and may also include some locations that did not receive it. Consumers and retailers are advised to use both the retail location list and the product identification information provided in the recall notice when determining whether a product is affected.

The FDA has also confirmed product distribution to Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., though additional distribution may have occurred.

The outbreak totals remain unchanged at 9 illnesses, 8 hospitalizations, and 1 death reported across Maryland, New York, and Virginia.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Source: FDA


Update June 9th, 2026:
The outbreak investigation has expanded to a total of 9 confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes across three states, with 8 hospitalizations and 1 death reported.

On June 5, 2026, Nelson & Isa Lacteos, LLC of Bay Shore, New York, initiated a recall of 1-pound packages of requeson cheese sold in plastic clamshell containers to retail locations in New York between May 15 and May 28, 2026. The recalled cheese was repackaged from Clover Hill Dairy requeson cheese and may have varying labels or coding depending on the retail location.

The recall was initiated after testing confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in an unopened container of Clover Hill Dairy Requeson Cheese (batch #2AA051526, sell-by date 06/14/2026). Whole genome sequencing confirmed that the strain matched the outbreak strain.

The FDA notes that the investigation remains ongoing, and additional products may be affected as further testing continues.

Source: FDA


June 4th, 2026:
Clover Hill Dairy has issued a recall of its soft ricotta/requeson cheese due to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. The outbreak has resulted in eight illnesses across Maryland, New York, and Virginia, with seven hospitalizations and one death reported. The FDA's investigation into the outbreak is ongoing.

The outbreak was identified after the Suffolk County Health Department reported two related Listeria cases in New York. Both cases involved individuals who had consumed requeson cheese from a local retailer. Subsequent testing confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the cheese. Further inspections traced the source to Clover Hill Dairy in Mechanicsville, Maryland, where unopened samples also tested positive for the pathogen.

The problem was discovered when the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets tested cheese samples from the retailer, finding Listeria in a repacked requeson sample. Whole genome sequencing confirmed the strain matched the outbreak strain. The Maryland Department of Health has since suspended Clover Hill Dairy's operating license, and the FDA continues to investigate the extent of the outbreak.

Source: www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-soft-cheese-june-2026