This is true. As of February 6th, 26 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths have been reported in 11 states, due to listeria contamination. Recalled cheese, sour cream, and yogurt were sold at Costco, Trader Joe’s, and were made by Rizo Lopez Foods (brands include Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, 365 Whole Foods Market; see full list at FDA.gov). The FDA advises against eating these products with any sell-by date. Call your healthcare provider if you have Listeria symptoms like fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

The recalled brands are sold at Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Price Chopper, Safeway and other retailers nationwide.

In January of 2024, the manufacturer, Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. was inspected, and the environmental sample tested positive for Listeria Monocytogenes, which is the same strain linked to the outbreak that’s been going on for 10 years.

As of February 6th, there have been 26 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths due to the outbreaks. In the U.S., cases were reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington state. These items are sold in additional states.

Those infected with listeria can experience symptoms including fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Symptoms can take up to 10 weeks to appear.

The FDA recommends that consumers, restaurants, and retailers search their inventory and freezers to throw out the recalled products and thoroughly wash any surfaces they may have touched.

After throwing out the products, it is important to follow the FDA’s guidelines on how to clean hands and any surfaces in contact with the items to prevent further illness.

We are still learning if more items are linked to these outbreaks.

The FDA and CDC is continuing to monitor products containing dairy and expects to update its list as it receives more information.