Federal officials have linked a multi-year Listeria outbreak to requeson cheese, with 8 people sick, 7 hospitalized, and 1 dead across 3 states. If you got sick after eating requeson or soft ricotta cheese, it was not your fault.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Listeria food poisoning cases in all 50 states. If you got sick from requeson cheese that was recalled for Listeria, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Quick Facts About The Nelson & Isa Requeson Cheese Recall
- Recalled by: Nelson & Isa Lacteos LLC (Bayshore, NY); requeson supplied by Clover Hill Dairy (Mechanicsville, MD)
- Product: Requeson cheese (soft ricotta), 1 lb. clamshell packages
- Recall date: June 5, 2026 (Nelson & Isa); June 3, 2026 (Clover Hill Dairy)
- Pathogen: Listeria monocytogenes
- Outbreak total: 8 sick, 7 hospitalized, 1 death across 3 states (MD, NY, VA)
- What to do: Do not eat the cheese; return it for a refund
- Official source: FDA recall notice
Requeson Cheese Recalled After Listeria Outbreak Kills 1
In June 2026, Nelson & Isa Lacteos LLC of Bayshore, New York, recalled 1-pound packages of requeson cheese because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The cheese was sold in plastic clamshell containers at New York retail locations from May 15 to May 28, 2026.
The recall was prompted after New York State inspectors found Listeria in an 18-pound container of Clover Hill Dairy requeson, batch #2AA051526, that had been repacked into the smaller containers. That same supplier has been linked to a multi-state outbreak of Listeria.
Clover Hill Dairy Linked to Deadly Listeria Outbreak
In June 2026, the FDA and CDC announced an open investigation into a multi-state, multi-year outbreak of Listeria infections. The outbreak has been linked to requeson and other soft cheese products that were manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland.
On June 3, 2026, Clover Hill Dairy recalled its requeson and soft ricotta products, and the Maryland Department of Health suspended the company’s operating license.
How Many People Got Sick?
As of early June 2026, 8 people across 3 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria, according to the CDC. Seven of those people have been hospitalized, and 1 person in Maryland has died.
The outbreak strain has been making people sick for years. Samples from infected people were collected on dates ranging from March 6, 2023, to May 9, 2026. If you were hospitalized with an unexplained Listeria infection in that window after eating soft cheese, your illness may be part of this outbreak.
What is the Risk?
Listeria monocytogenes can cause a serious infection called listeriosis. The official recall warns it can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. In pregnant women, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.
“Although healthy persons may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.”
Symptoms of listeriosis may include:
- High fever
- Severe headache
- Stiff neck
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Confusion and loss of balance
Listeria is dangerous because of its long incubation period. Symptoms usually start within 2 weeks of eating contaminated food, but can begin as late as 10 weeks after exposure. That delay is why many people never connect a severe illness to the cheese they ate weeks earlier.
How Do I Know If I Ate the Recalled Cheese?
The recalled requeson was sold in 1-pound plastic clamshell containers in New York from May 15 to May 28, 2026. Because the product was likely repacked at the store level, the labeling and date-codes may vary depending on where you bought the cheese.
The Clover Hill Dairy requeson at the center of the outbreak may have also been relabeled under a variety of brand names. The label may only identify the Clover Hill Dairy manufacturer permit (plant) number as “24-128,” and some varieties may contain jalapeño or other flavors.
Listeria in Requeson and Soft Cheese Is a Recurring Danger
This is not the first deadly Listeria outbreak tied to soft Hispanic-style cheese. In 2024, the FDA and CDC solved a decade-long outbreak linked to queso fresco and cotija cheese made by Rizo-López Foods of Modesto, California.
That outbreak spanned 11 states with 26 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations, 2 deaths, and 1 pregnancy loss. It led to a nationwide recall of roughly 60 dairy products.
El Abuelito Cheese Recalled After Listeria Outbreak
In 2021, Listeria in queso fresco made by El Abuelito Cheese Inc. sickened 13 people in 4 states, with 12 hospitalizations and 1 death. That recall was expanded to include the company’s quesillo and requeson cheeses made at the same facility.
The FDA has acknowledged the pattern, noting that since 2020 a significant number of outbreaks have been attributed to fresh, soft, queso fresco-type cheeses made from pasteurized milk. The agency has developed a dedicated Listeria prevention strategy for these products.
What Should I Do?
Consumers who bought the recalled requeson are urged not to eat the product and to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. The FDA and CDC recommend throwing away the recalled soft cheese and disinfecting any refrigerators, containers, and surfaces that it may have touched. Be aware that Listeria can survive in very cold temperatures and spread to other foods.
For ongoing updates, consumers can check the FDA outbreak investigation and the company recall notice. If you or a family member got sick, our lawyers may be able to help you understand your legal options.
Do I Have a Requeson Cheese Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting requeson cheese injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know got sick from requeson or soft cheese that was recalled for Listeria, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Food Poisoning Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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