Listeria recall results in products pulled from Walmart Trader Joe's and more stores

Salad kits, dressings, poultry contain the recalled cheese

The recall of cheese and dairy products linked to a possible outbreak of listeria food contamination has expanded to 61 food items sold in popular retailers like Trader Joe’s and Walmart.

The latest products being recalled include salad kits and dressings, ready meals, and taco kits that contain the recalled cheese as an ingredient.

This comes after California-based company Rizo-Lopez Foods recalled 61 cheese and dairy products earlier this week, following evidence linking them to an outbreak of listeria food poisoning that has killed two Americans and hospitalized 23 across 11 states. Two deaths have been reported one in California in 2017, and another in Texas in 2020.

The original recalled products, including cheese, yogurt, and sour cream (crema), were distributed nationwide and sold under brand names such as 365 Whole Foods Market, Food City and Tio Francisco, the company said.

According to the FDA, the expanded lists consists of:

• BrightFarms, of Irvington, New York, recalled salad kits such as Southwest Chipotle Crunch Kit because they include cojita cheese supplied by Rizo-López Foods. The products were sold at retailers in Deleware, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hamsphire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington DC.

• Ready Pac Foods of Irwindale California, has also recalled four salad kits such as Marketside Southwest Chopped Kit, Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Kit, and Ready Pac Bistro Fresh Mex Chopped Kit, and Ready Pac Bistro Queso Crunch Salad Kit. A total of 15,751 cases were distributed to Walmart Stores in 22 states.

• Fresh Express of Orlando, Florida, has recalled two salad kits with condiment packs containing the recalled cheese. They are sold in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Utah, and Washington.

• Dole Fresh Vegetables of Monterey, California, has recalled a limited number of Dole-branded and private label salad kits to stores in 25 states. These salads were also sold in stores across Canada, such as Alberta and Ontario.

• Albertsons Companies of Boise Idaho, has recalled five ready meals and store-made taco kits because they contain a recalled cheese ingredient. They are sold at stores like Albertsons, Carrs-Safeway, Eagle, Lucky, Pavilions, Randalls, Safeway, Shaw’s, Star Market, Tom Thumb and Vons across 23 states.

The FDA released a health alert last Thursday to warn consumers to avoid eating certain meat and poultry products that include the recalled cheese.

The products being recalled include Chicken Chile Verde Burritos with rice, black beans and Monterey Jack cheese. These are sold in shops like Trader Joe’s and Amazon Kitchen.

The FDA has said that there have been no confirmed reports of people getting sick after eating these products. The FDA is still investigating the outbreak.

Listeria or listeriosis is a serious infection that can be very harmful, if not deadly, to young children, pregnant women, elderly people aged 65 or older, or people who have weak immune systems, according to the Centers for Diseased Control and Infection.

Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or seizures. These symptoms usually show up within two weeks after eating food contaminated with listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 10 weeks after, according to the CDC.

The CDC has warned consumers to check their fridges and either throw away the products or return them to the shop, and to call a healthcare provider right away if they experience symptoms.

The CDC has warned that consumers should also clean their fridges, containers and surfaces that may have come into contact with the recalled product. This is because listeria can survive in the fridge and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.

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