Rizo Lopez Foods enjoined from making and selling certain foods after a deadly multistate outbreak of listeriosis that was linked to the company’s Queso Fresco and Cotija cheese products, according to the FDA. That outbreak, which ended earlier this year, sickened 26 people, and two people died.
The case count by state was: Arizona (4), California (8), Colorado (4), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Nevada (1), North Carolina (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (2), Texas (2), and Washington (1). The patient age range is from less than one to 88 years. Illness onset dates ranged from June 15, 2014 to December 10, 2023. The people who died lived in California and Texas. Illness onset dates ranged from June 15, 2014 to December 10, 2023. And in this outbreak, two people got sick during pregnancy and one person suffered a pregnancy loss.
The consent decree prohibits Rizo Lopez from manufacturing and selling certain food products until the company complies with FDA regulations.
In January 2024, the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Food and Drug Branch collected a retail sample of the company’s aged Cotija Mexican grated cheese, which tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. And the pathogen matched previous clinical illnesses identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This indicates that the pathogen likely originated from the facility.
FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones said in a statement, “Food safety is a critical responsibility. Producers of fresco type cheeses are responsible for producing safe food, including being in compliance with food safety laws and regulations. Through this unfortunate outbreak, we see what can happen when a company fails to meet their legal responsibilities. The FDA will always put the safety of consumers and public health first and will continue to hold companies accountable when they manufacture and distribute contaminated food into the U.S. marketplace.’
The decree prohibits “Rizo Lopez Foods, Edwin Rizo, and Tomas Rizo, and any persons or entities in active concert or participation with them who receive notice of the decree, from directly or indirectly manufacturing, preparing, processing, packing, repacking, receiving, labeling, holding, and/or distributing any product, excluding pre-packaged food, at or from their facilities unless and until certain requirements are met to ensure they are operating in compliance with the FD&C Act, the FDA’s regulations, and the decree.”
If you have been sickened with a food poisoning infection, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors, and families in wrongful death cases.
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