TL;DR

Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled requesón/soft ricotta cheese made by Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland. According to the CDC Newsroom release of June 5, 2026, eight people in Maryland, New York, and Virginia were infected with the same outbreak strain of Listeria, seven were hospitalized, and one person in Maryland died.

Outbreak snapshot: what investigators confirmed by June 5

Federal and state partners described a multistate, multi-year investigation that remained open in early June.

  • Case count: Eight people infected with the outbreak strain, reported from three states, according to the CDC Newsroom.
  • Hospitalizations and death: Seven hospitalizations and one death reported, according to the CDC Newsroom and the FDA outbreak bulletin distributed June 5, 2026.
  • Sample window: Patients' samples were collected on dates ranging from March 6, 2023, to May 9, 2026, according to the FDA outbreak bulletin distributed June 5, 2026.
  • Interviews: Of seven people interviewed, five reported eating any cheese and two people reported eating requesón made by Clover Hill Dairy, according to that same FDA bulletin.
  • Status: The status of the outbreak investigation is ongoing, according to the FDA bulletin, and CDC and FDA are working to identify if any other products are linked, according to the CDC Newsroom.

The Maryland Department of Health consumer advisory of June 3, 2026, said Clover Hill Dairy had issued a voluntary recall of its requesón/soft ricotta products because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The company announcement carried by the FDA said Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland, is voluntarily recalling all Soft Ricotta/Requesón Cheese because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Clover Hill Dairy was made aware of the potential public food health risk by the Maryland Department of Health, according to the company announcement carried by the FDA. The company said it has ceased production and distribution of all cheese products while the Food and Drug Administration, Maryland Department of Health, and Clover Hill Dairy continue their investigations.

Which cheese is recalled and how to spot it

Requesón is a soft cheese similar to ricotta, according to the FDA outbreak bulletin distributed June 5, 2026. Some varieties may have jalapeño or other flavors, according to the Maryland Department of Health advisory and the company announcement carried by the FDA.

Distribution described in the recall materials was broad for a regional dairy:

  • Distribution period: May 4, 2026, through May 30, 2026, according to the company announcement carried by the FDA.
  • Where distributed: North Carolina, New York, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington, DC, through bulk distributors, retail stores, and directly to consumers, according to that company announcement.
  • Other channels: Products are sold directly from the company's retail market in Maryland, at farmers markets, and through third-party distributors, including in New York and Virginia, according to the FDA outbreak bulletin and the Maryland Department of Health advisory.

Packaging takes several forms, which matters because shoppers may not see the Clover Hill name at purchase:

  • Retail clamshells: Ten-ounce, 12-ounce, and 14-ounce individually packaged clamshell containers, according to the company announcement carried by the FDA.
  • Plant number: For clamshell containers with the Clover Hill Dairy Cheese brand name, look for plant number 24-128 on the product label, according to that announcement. The Maryland Department of Health advisory gives the same instruction: the label should identify the manufacturer permit or plant number as “24-128.”
  • Bulk buckets: Five-gallon and two-gallon buckets sold to some customers that repackaged the cheese, according to the company announcement carried by the FDA.
  • Repackaged brands: Bulk cheese may be repackaged under individual distributor brand names including KESSO, QUESOS LA RICURA, IZALCO, DE MI PUEBLO, and RIO LINDO, according to that announcement. The Maryland Department of Health advisory similarly warned that products may be relabeled under a different brand name and urged consumers to check manufacturer information where available.

The Maryland Department of Health advisory said photographs in its release show the front label of sample products but do not represent all products and distributors affected. Consumers who purchased recalled cheese are urged to return it to the place of purchase in its original packaging for a full refund, according to the company announcement carried by the FDA.

How the trace led to Clover Hill Dairy

The New York portion of the trace was described in detail by Food Safety Magazine on June 4, 2026, citing CDC information.

According to Food Safety Magazine, the Suffolk County Health Department notified the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets on May 13, 2026, about two related illnesses in one family who had purchased food from a local retailer in Brentwood, New York. The next day, the New York State Department of Health confirmed both patients had consumed requesón cheese purchased at that retailer.

Investigators then tested five cheese samples collected from the retailer and found L. monocytogenes in one sample of requesón that had been repacked by the retailer, according to Food Safety Magazine. Whole genome sequencing matched the strain found in that cheese to the clinical strain from the two New York patients who reported buying cheese there.

On May 27, 2026, state agriculture investigators inspected the retailer's cheese distributor, which identified Clover Hill Dairy LLC of Mechanicsville, Maryland, as the manufacturer, according to Food Safety Magazine. A sample from an unopened 18-pound sealed bucket of requesón manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy also tested positive for L. monocytogenes, with sequencing analysis of that isolate pending at the time of that report.

The Maryland Department of Health announced its consumer advisory and license action on June 3, 2026. The company recall followed with a June 5, 2026, company announcement, according to the notice carried by the FDA.

License suspended while evaluation continues

Due to the public health risk, the Maryland Department of Health has suspended the facility's operating license and is conducting a follow-up evaluation in cooperation with the facility, according to both the CDC Newsroom and the Maryland Department of Health advisory.

The company announcement carried by the FDA said the company has ceased production and distribution of all cheese products and has initiated a voluntary recall for Soft Ricotta/Requesón while investigations continue. Consumers with questions may contact the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission on behalf of Clover Hill Dairy at 240-528-8850 extension 327, according to that announcement.

The CDC Newsroom said certain soft cheeses made by Clover Hill Dairy sold in grocery stores and other retail locations have been recalled. It also said CDC and FDA are working to identify if any other products are linked to the outbreak. At the time of the June 4 report, Food Safety Magazine noted there was not enough evidence for FDA to determine if the recalled cheese can explain the entire outbreak.

Who faces the highest risk

Listeria is especially harmful to pregnant women and people who are 65 or older or who have weakened immune systems, according to the CDC Newsroom. This is because Listeria is more likely to spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body, resulting in invasive listeriosis.

For pregnant women, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in newborns, according to the CDC Newsroom. The company announcement carried by the FDA similarly states that Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women, and can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, or others with weakened immune systems.

For people who are 65 years or older or who have a weakened immune system, Listeria often results in hospitalization and sometimes death, according to the CDC Newsroom.

The Maryland Department of Health advisory adds that listeriosis can be serious and life-threatening particularly for pregnant women, newborns and young children, older adults, and persons with weakened immune systems. It states that pets can also spread the bacteria in the home if they eat food contaminated with L. monocytogenes.

Symptoms and timing to watch

Symptoms usually start 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 Newsroom and the FDA outbreak bulletin.

Mild symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, nausea, tiredness, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the FDA bulletin. The Maryland Department of Health advisory says mild symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which often persist for one to three days.

More severe illness looks different:

  • Pregnant women: Fever, muscle aches, and tiredness; illness may be mild, but Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth and serious illness or death in newborns, according to the CDC Newsroom.
  • Other people: Headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever, muscle aches, and tiredness, according to the CDC Newsroom. The FDA bulletin lists the same severe signs.
  • Timing: People can sometimes develop listeriosis up to two months after eating contaminated food, although symptoms usually begin within several days, according to the Maryland Department of Health advisory.

People should immediately consult with a health care provider if they suspect symptoms resembling listeriosis infection, according to the Maryland Department of Health advisory. The CDC Newsroom advises calling a health care provider right away if severe symptoms develop after eating recalled cheese.

What consumers should do now

Do not eat recalled requesón/soft ricotta cheese, according to the CDC Newsroom, the FDA outbreak bulletin, and the Maryland Department of Health advisory.

The FDA bulletin adds these steps:

  • Check refrigerators and freezers for any recalled cheese and throw it away.
  • If cheese was frozen without the original packaging and it cannot be told whether it is part of the recall, throw it away.
  • Carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers the recalled cheese touched, following safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce cross-contamination.
  • Contact a health care provider if symptoms of listeriosis develop.

The CDC Newsroom similarly advises cleaning the refrigerator, containers, and surfaces that may have touched the recalled cheese because Listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces. The Maryland Department of Health advisory states that L. monocytogenes can survive and grow even under refrigeration and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.

If you are at higher risk — pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with a weakened immune system — do not eat any queso fresco-type cheese, including soft ricotta/requesón, according to the recommendation for at-risk groups in the FDA outbreak bulletin. The CDC Newsroom advises that people in those groups not eat recalled requesón/soft ricotta cheese and notes that soft cheeses, even pasteurized ones, can be a riskier food choice.

What retailers, restaurants, and distributors should do

Do not sell or serve recalled requesón/soft ricotta cheese, according to the CDC Newsroom and the FDA outbreak bulletin.

The CDC Newsroom advises businesses to wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have touched recalled cheese. The FDA bulletin says consumers, restaurants, and retailers that purchased or received recalled cheese, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers it touched.

The Maryland Department of Health advisory directs consumers, retailers, and restaurants not to eat, sell, or serve products containing Clover Hill Dairy requesón/soft ricotta products and to dispose of any product containing them.

Why even pasteurized soft cheese carries risk

Pasteurization of milk kills Listeria, but soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk can still become contaminated after pasteurization and cause illnesses, according to the Maryland Department of Health advisory. The CDC Newsroom carries the same caution that soft cheeses, even pasteurized ones, can be a riskier food choice.

The Maryland advisory says L. monocytogenes is a disease-causing bacterium that can grow in unsanitary food production conditions, leading to contamination. It also notes that consumers at higher risk should not eat soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk.

That combination — a soft, high-moisture food, handling after pasteurization, repackaging through distributors, and the organism's ability to persist under refrigeration — is why officials emphasize label checks, disposal rather than tasting to decide, and thorough cleaning of refrigerated storage areas.

What remains under investigation

As of June 4, 2026, FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, were investigating a multistate, multi-year outbreak potentially linked to requesón, according to the FDA outbreak bulletin. The company announcement carried by the FDA said investigations by FDA, the Maryland Department of Health, and Clover Hill Dairy were continuing.

The CDC Newsroom said CDC and FDA are working to identify if any other products are linked. For questions about cases in a particular state, CDC directed callers to that state's health department, according to the CDC Newsroom.

Consumers who purchased recalled Clover Hill Dairy Soft Ricotta/Requesón cheese are urged to return it to the place of purchase in its original packaging for a full refund, according to the company announcement carried by the FDA.

Sources referenced