US food safety authorities have expanded a recall involving Clover Hill Dairy to include all cheese products made at the company’s Maryland facility. The action follows an investigation that linked multiple listeria infections to soft cheese products and identified the outbreak strain in both product and environmental samples.
The recall now affects a wide range of cheeses sold across several states and Washington, D.C., with health officials advising consumers not to eat, sell, or serve the products. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the investigation remains ongoing.
The expanded recall comes amid a multi-state outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections that federal and state agencies have been tracking. Authorities have connected the outbreak to requeson, a soft cheese similar to ricotta, manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy in Mechanicsville, Maryland.
According to the FDA, Clover Hill Dairy broadened its June 18 recall to cover all cheese products manufactured at its facility because of the potential for contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The agency said consumers should check refrigerators and freezers for affected products and either discard them or return them to the place of purchase.
Investigation Links Outbreak to Clover Hill Dairy Products
The expanded recall follows an earlier action announced on June 5 by Nelson & Isa Lacteos, LLC of Bay Shore, New York. That recall involved requeson cheese distributed from Clover Hill Dairy and sold at retail locations in New York between May 15 and May 28, 2026.
According to information released by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), investigators collected product and environmental samples as part of the outbreak investigation. Six samples of requeson cheese tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes and matched the strain associated with the outbreak. One environmental sample collected at the Clover Hill Dairy facility also tested positive for the same strain.
The FDA said the recall now includes all cheese products manufactured at the facility, including requeson, cuajada, ricotta, cheddar varieties, Monterey Jack, Colby, pepper jack products, smoked cheeses, and flavored cheeses. Some products may have been distributed under other brand names, including KESSO, QUESOS LA RICURA, IZALCO, DE MI PUEBLO, and RIO LINDO.
According to the company’s recall notice published by the FDA, products were distributed through the company’s retail market, farmers markets, and third-party distributors in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Health Officials Warn Consumers as Outbreak Toll Grows
State health authorities had already raised concerns before the nationwide recall expansion. The Maryland Department of Health issued a consumer advisory on June 3 regarding Clover Hill Dairy requeson and soft ricotta products. On May 30, the department suspended the facility’s operating license because of public health concerns and continued follow-up evaluations with the company.
The Maryland Department of Health later expanded its advisory on June 14 to include all cheese products manufactured at the facility. According to the FDA, the broader recall reflects the continuing risk associated with potential contamination.
The company stated that, to date, nine illnesses, eight hospitalizations, and one death have been linked to the soft cheese products involved in the outbreak.
Listeriosis, the illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes, can produce symptoms including fever, muscle aches, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea. More severe infections may lead to headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions. Health officials say pregnant women, newborns, adults aged 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of serious illness.
The FDA is urging consumers not to consume recalled products and advising businesses that handled the cheeses to clean and sanitize any surfaces, equipment, or containers that may have come into contact with them.
