Roos Foods of Kenton, DE has issued a recall for several cheeses that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The February 23 recall comes two days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a Listeria outbreak associated with the cheese that killed one person in California and sickened seven others n Maryland.
All lots of the following cheese are being recalled: Cuajada En Terron, Cuajada/Cuajadita Cacera, Cuajada Fresca, Queso Fresca Round and Queso Dura Viejo Hard Cheeses sold under the brand names Amigo, Mexicana, Santa Rosa De Lima, and Queso Fresco sold under the Anita brand name. The recalled products were packaged in flexible plastic bags and rigid plastic clam shell packages in 12 oz. and 16 oz. sizes and sold at retail stores including Megamarts in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C.
Consumers who have purchased any of these cheese should not eat them as Listeria can cause serious, sometimes fatal injury. Among pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths. Babies, young children, seniors and those with compromised immune systems are at particular risk.
Tests by the Virginia Dept of Agriculture & Consumer Services found Listeria in samples of Cuajada en Terron that is a genetic match to isolates from the case patients, according to the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Roos Foods has stopped production and distribution of the products, The investigation of the outbreak is ongoing.
