Cheese maker Sargento is recalling some of its shredded and shredded cheeses over fears they have been contaminated with listeria.
The billion-dollar Wisconsin-based company said it had distributed its products to food service companies in 15 states, although not directly to stores where ordinary Americans could buy them.
Sargento’s decision was prompted by a widespread recall of his supplier’s cheese in February. California-based Rizo-Lopez Foods Inc. had to recall dozens of products due to a deadly listeria outbreak that sickened 26 people and killed two of them.
Out of an abundance of caution, Sargento recalled 22 types of cheeses, including those supplied by Rizo-Lopez Foods and others packaged on the same manufacturing lines.
Sargento terminated its contract with Rizo-López and notified its affected customers, a company spokesperson said.
Five types of cheddar cheese were included in the recall, as well as several cheese blends: Parmesan, Asiago, Monteray Jack, Swiss and Cotija.
The map shows where the 26 people sick with listeria live. Since June 2014, 26 people have become ill with listeriosis due to contaminated products from California-based Rizo-Lopez Foods Inc..
The FDA and CDC are immersed in a nationwide listeria outbreak fueled by Rico-Lopez Foods, whose queso fresco and Cotija cheese have been linked to 26 diseases in 11 states.
Of those 26 illnesses, 23 people have been hospitalized and two of them have died.
Sargento’s recall applies to products distributed to food service businesses in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
A spokesperson for Sargento said: ‘On February 5, out of an abundance of caution, Sargento voluntarily recalled products supplied by Rizo-Lopez Foods Inc. and products packaged on the same lines.
‘This recall did not affect Sargento brand products. Sargento immediately terminated its relationship with Rizo-Lopez Foods Inc. and immediately notified our customers.
Listeriosis is an infection caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which is typically found in dirty water, irrigation water, soil, and fertilizers.
An estimated 1,600 Americans contract listeriosis each year and about 260 people die.
The pathogen is unique among others that cause foodborne illness because it thrives in low temperatures, such as inside a refrigerator. It can multiply to dangerous levels during storage.
The infection begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures.
The time from the bacteria being consumed to signs of illness appearing is usually eight to 90 days, and some people end up in the hospital dehydrated.
The most vulnerable people are pregnant women and their newborns, as well as people over 65 years of age and people with weak immune systems.
Sargento’s latest recall follows an action taken in February by Modesto, California-based Rizo-Lopez Foods. remember more than 60 products sold nationwide.
The recalled products were sold in more than 600 Walmart stores in 12 states: Alabama, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
They also sold at 28 Sam’s Club locations in six states: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming.
It took years for the FDA and CDC to determine which manufacturer was behind an ongoing listeria outbreak that has been causing illness in people since June 2014. The agencies investigated the outbreak in 2017 and 2021, but did not have enough information to identify a specific brand.
But they reopened the investigation last month after health officials in Hawaii found listeria in a sample of Rizo-López’s Cotija.
That prompted a recall in January that has since been expanded to include cheese, yogurt and sour cream.