What We Know About the Clover Hill Dairy Listeria Outbreak
The FDA and CDC, working with state and local partners, are investigating a multistate, multi-year outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to requesón, a soft cheese similar to ricotta made by Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland. As of the June 18, 2026 update, 9 people have been infected across 3 states, with 8 hospitalizations and 1 death. Patient samples were collected over more than three years, from March 6, 2023 to May 10, 2026. The investigation is active and ongoing, and the recall has since grown to cover every cheese the dairy makes.
How Investigators Linked Clover Hill Dairy
The break in the case came from New York. On May 13, 2026, the Suffolk County Health Department reported two related Listeria illnesses in one family who had bought food from a retailer in Brentwood, New York. State investigators tested five cheese samples from that store. One sample of requesón that the retailer had repacked tested positive for Listeria, and whole genome sequencing matched it to the strain that made the two New York patients sick. On May 27, 2026, inspectors traced the cheese to Clover Hill Dairy. A sample from an unopened 18-pound bucket of the dairy’s requesón also tested positive, and sequencing has since confirmed it matches the outbreak strain. In all, six product samples of requesón and one environmental sample from the dairy have tested positive and match the outbreak strain.
FDA has been careful about how far the evidence reaches. Of the 8 sickened people who were interviewed, 6 reported eating cheese and 2 (about 33 percent) reported eating Clover Hill Dairy requesón specifically. FDA states there is not yet enough evidence to determine whether the recalled cheese explains the entire outbreak, and further testing is underway.
The Listeria Cheese Recall and License Suspension
On June 3, 2026, Clover Hill Dairy issued a voluntary recall of its requesón and soft ricotta cheese. On June 18, 2026, the dairy expanded that recall to all cheese made at the facility, including requesón, soft cuajada, ricotta, and hard, mild, sharp, and pepper jack varieties. Some product was relabeled and sold under the brand names KESSO, QUESOS LA RICURA, IZALCO, DE MI PUEBLO, and RIO LINDO, so consumers should check the label for those names or for the manufacturer permit number 24-128. The cheese was distributed across six jurisdictions: Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. It was sold directly from the dairy’s retail market, at farmers markets, and through third-party distributors. The Maryland Department of Health suspended Clover Hill Dairy’s operating license and, on June 14, 2026, expanded its consumer advisory to cover all of the dairy’s cheese while it evaluates the facility.
On June 5, 2026, the recall widened downstream. Nelson & Isa Lacteos LLC of Bay Shore, New York recalled 1-pound clamshell packages of requesón that it had repacked from an 18-pound container of Clover Hill Dairy requesón, sell-by June 14, 2026 and batch 2AA051526. New York State inspectors found Listeria in that 18-pound container. No illnesses have been linked to the Nelson & Isa packages, and because the cheese was repacked at retail, its labeling and coding can vary by store.
Who Is Most at Risk
Listeria is most dangerous for pregnant women and their newborns, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. It grows at refrigerator temperatures, which makes soft, ready-to-eat cheeses a known risk. FDA advises anyone at higher risk to avoid queso fresco-type cheeses, including soft ricotta and requesón. Symptoms can appear the same day or as long as 10 weeks after exposure, so monitor your health for several weeks if you ate the recalled cheese.
Your Legal Rights
If you were hospitalized or lost a family member to listeriosis after eating Clover Hill Dairy cheese, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Listeria outbreaks linked to soft cheese are a recognized food poisoning hazard, and manufacturers can be held responsible when contaminated product reaches consumers. Filing deadlines vary by state, so it helps to document your exposure and diagnosis promptly.
Ron Simon & Associates is a food poisoning law firm that has recovered over $850 million for victims nationwide. Our Listeria lawyers focus on foodborne illness cases and are reviewing claims from this outbreak. Contact our law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-335-4901. You pay us nothing unless we recover compensation for you.