Modesto, California-based Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. announced a recall on January 11, 2024, that covers 344 cases of its Aged Cotija Mexican Grating Cheese (8oz) over concerns that the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
While healthy people may only experience relatively short-lived symptoms like “high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea,” pregnant women with a Listeria infection could suffer miscarriages or stillbirths. The infection has also been known to turn fatal in those with weakened immune systems, such as young children and elderly individuals.
Distributed to a number of distributors across the U.S., Aged Cotija Mexican Grating Cheese comes in an 8-ounce “puck”-shaped clear plastic package which bears red and black lettering on the bottom that reads “Cotija, made with Grade A Milk,” along with a description of the ingredients and the nutritional facts. The top of the package is distinguished by the lettering “Cotija Aged Mexican Grating Cheese” over an orange backdrop. Consumers can identify affected products by batch number and “sell by” date in black lettering: “SELL BY 05/12/24 BATCH 4DW-23318.”
A routine sampling conducted by the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Food and Drug Branch on January 3rd demonstrated that a finished product contained Listeria monocytogenes. Since the discovery all production and distribution of the product has been halted by Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. as the company continues to work with the FDA to identify the root of the problem.
While the company has not received any confirmations of illness related to the issue, consumers who may have purchased an affected package of Age Cotija Mexican Grating Cheese (8oz.) should quarantine the item and have it destroyed. Further questions can be directed to Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. at 1-800-626-5587 on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
If you have suffered a Listeria infection or a related adverse health outcome that can be traced to a contaminated food product, we would like to learn about your case. Our compassionate attorneys at TruLaw work tirelessly to help people like you fight for fair compensation after a traumatic, potentially life-threatening medical event caused by another party. Connect with us online or take our free Instant Case Evaluation ℠to learn more.