These Cheese And Dairy Products Are Being Recalled Nationwide

Unfortunately, food recalls are something that just happens. When food is mass-produced, contamination can often be unavoidable, no matter how many measures a company takes. According to the CDC, they estimated that unspecified agents cause 38.4 million episodes of foodborne illness in the U.S. each year. Recently, Rizo-López Foods, Inc. (RLF) voluntarily announced a recall of the brand's dairy products nationwide due to a potential health risk.

It was discovered that some of the brand's cheese, yogurt, and sour cream products had been potentially contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. The cheese and dairy company is recalling more than 60 products sold nationwide. CBS News reported that the listeria outbreak has killed two people and sickened dozens more.

The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened an investigation last month after Hawaii officials detected listeria in a sample of Rizo Brothers Aged Cotija. That prompted a limited recall on January 11, which is now expanded.

The recalled products now include cheese, yogurt, and sour cream sold under various brand names, Rizo-López said in a notice posted by the FDA. Some of these names include Food City, Santa Maria, Tio Francisco, 365 Whole Foods Market, and others. You can see the full list of recalled products here.

According to the notice, the recalled products were sold at more than 600 Walmart stores in 12 states. These states include Alabama, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Additionally, they sold at 28 Sam’s Club locations in six states, such as Colorado, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

The products were also sold at deli counters at retailers, including El Super, Cardenas Market, Northgate Gonzalez, Superior Groceries, El Rancho, Vallarta, Food City, La Michoacana, and Numero Uno Markets.

Images and details about the products in question can be found here. Consumers are encouraged to check their homes for these products and to dispose of the recalled items. Surfaces and containers that came in contact with the products should also be sanitized, as listeria can survive in refrigerated environments and spread. Consumers with questions can call the company at (833) 296-2233.

A new Consumer Reports study has ranked the riskiest foods. They analyzed data from the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture between 2017 and 2022. Their researchers focused on "widely consumed foods" that had recalls over a specific duration of time.

According to Consumers Reports, the CDC estimates that 48 million people each year fall ill from salmonella, listeria, E. coli, or other bacteria or viruses in food. They said most recover on their own after a few days. But about 130,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses yearly.

Some of the foods that are ranked at the top of the list include bagged salads, poultry products, and deli meats. The top five are leafy greens, deli cheese and meat, ground beef, onions, and poultry. Bagged salads and other leafy greens ranked number one on the list. They found 50 different recalls linked to them since 2017. Also, it has the most caused deaths. Last on the list at number ten is flour. Unlike leafy greens, flour has had zero total deaths.

"We aren’t saying people need to avoid these foods entirely," says Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at CR, who led the analysis. "After all, these foods are all usually safe, and many of them are in fact important parts of a healthy diet." Ronholm continued to say in Consumers Report that the list underscores the "importance of following best food safety practices with all of your foods, including knowing how to track, and respond, to food recalls when they happen." Read the entire list, and learn how you can reduce your risk at Consumer Reports.