Clover Hill Dairy Cheese Lawsuit

Clover Hill Dairy expanded its recall to include all of its cheese after a deadly Listeria outbreak was linked to 12 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations, and 1 death across 4 states. If you got sick in this outbreak, you are not alone.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Clover Hill Dairy cheese Listeria cases in all 50 states. If you got sick from Clover Hill Dairy 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.

Listeria Outbreak + Recall Information

• Recalled by: Clover Hill Dairy, LLC (Mechanicsville, MD)
• Product: All Clover Hill Dairy brand cheese, hard and soft, including ricotta, cuajada, cheddar, jack, and flavored varieties
• Recall date: June 3, 2026 (soft ricotta/requeson); expanded to all cheese on June 18, 2026
• Pathogen: Listeria monocytogenes
• Outbreak total: 12 sick, 10 hospitalized, 1 death across 4 states (MD, NY, VA, IL)
• Distribution: NC, NY, VA, MD, NJ, and Washington, DC
• What to do: Do not eat the cheese; return it to the place of purchase for a full refund
• Official source: FDA expanded recall notice

UPDATE: La Ceiba Foods Recalls Soft Cheese for Listeria Risk

On June 26, 2026, La Ceiba Foods Latin Market Inc. recalled certain requesón (soft cottage cheese) under the La Colonia® and Selectos Latinos® brands.

The products were distributed to supermarkets, retail stores, and restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., from May 11 to June 1, 2026. The recall involves the following products:

• La Colonia Requeson Salvadoreno, 14-oz

• Selectos Latinos Requeson Salvadoreno, 16-oz

• Selectos Latinos Requeson Mexicano, 16-oz

Clover Hill Dairy Expands Cheese Recall After Listeria Outbreak Kills 1

In June 2026, Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland expanded its recall to include all of its Clover Hill Dairy brand cheese due to the potential for contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The company first recalled only its soft ricotta and requeson cheese on June 3, 2026, then broadened the recall to every hard and soft cheese it makes on June 18, 2026.

The recall was prompted after a sample of the company’s requeson cheese tested positive for a strain of Listeria that matched the strain that has been making people sick for years.

The Maryland Department of Health suspended the company’s operating license and issued a consumer advisory. Clover Hill Dairy says it has ceased production and distribution of all cheese products.

What is the Problem?

Clover Hill Dairy and the FDA posted the following recall announcement:

“Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland is expanding their recall to include all Clover Hill Dairy brand cheese because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.”

Investigators with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets found Listeria in a sample of Clover Hill requeson that had been repackaged at a retailer, and in an unopened 18-pound bucket of the company’s requeson. Whole genome sequencing confirmed that strain matched the one making people sick in the outbreak.

How Many People Got Sick?

As of June 39, 2026, 12 people across 4 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria, according to the CDC. Of those people, 10 victims have been hospitalized, and 1 person in Maryland died.

The outbreak strain has been making people sick since 2023. Samples from infected people were collected on dates ranging from March 6, 2023, to May 10, 2026.

If you were hospitalized with an unexplained Listeria infection in that window after eating soft cheese, you may have gotten sick in this outbreak.

What Products Were Recalled?

The expanded recall covers all Clover Hill Dairy brand cheese currently on the market, both hard and soft varieties. The recalled products include:

• Soft Cuajada in Brine, Soft Cuajada (vacuum sealed), Cuajada (vacuum sealed), and Soft Cuajada Crumbs
• Ricotta cheese in buckets, tubs, and 1-pound clamshells
• Mild cheese varieties, including Yummy Cheddar, White Cheddar, White Colby, Monterey Jack, and Marble Jack
• Sharp cheese varieties, including Cheddar, Yummy Cheddar, White Cheddar, and Monterey Jack
• Fresh Cheddar Curd, assorted snack packs, and cheese stix
• Pepper jack varieties, including Jalapeno Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Sizzlin Colby with Habanero Peppers
• Smoked cheddar and smoked pepper cheeses
• Flavored cheeses, including Horseradish and Old Bay Cheddar

The soft ricotta/requeson cheese in the original recall was distributed from May 4 through May 30, 2026, in North Carolina, New York, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington, DC, through bulk distributors, retail stores, and directly to consumers. The expanded recall now covers all of the company’s cheese sold in those areas.

It may be challenging for consumers to identify cheese that was manufactured by Clover Hill Dairy and then repackaged and sold under other brand names. The bulk cheese may have been repackaged and sold under brand names including (but not limited to):

• KESSO
• QUESOS LA RICURA
• IZALCO
• DE MI PUEBLO
• RIO LINDO
• And more

What is the Risk?

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can cause an illness called listeriosis. In severe cases, this infection can become invasive and spread beyond the digestive system to other parts of the body. Life-threatening or deadly infections are more likely to occur in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

In pregnant women, Listeria infections can lead to a miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, or life-threatening infection of the newborn baby.

Listeria can sometimes have a long incubation period. Some people do not develop symptoms for months. The symptoms usually start within 2 weeks of eating contaminated food, but can begin as late as 10 weeks after exposure. That long delay is why some people never realize their illness was linked to a food that they ate months ago.

The symptoms of listeriosis may include:

• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion and loss of balance
• Convulsions

How Do I Know If I Ate the Recalled Cheese?

Because Clover Hill cheese was often sold in bulk and repackaged, the labeling and date codes may vary depending on where you bought it. The most reliable identifier is the Clover Hill Dairy manufacturer permit (plant) number “24-128” on the package, where available.

The cheese may have been relabeled under a different brand name by a distributor or retailer. If you bought Clover Hill Dairy cheese, or soft ricotta or requeson cheese, in the affected states, there is a chance it is part of this recall.

A Related Recall: Nelson & Isa Requeson Cheese

Days before the Clover Hill recall, Nelson & Isa Lacteos LLC of Bayshore, New York, recalled 1-pound packages of Nelson & Isa requeson cheese after New York inspectors found Listeria in an 18-pound container of Clover Hill Dairy requeson that had been repacked into smaller containers. That recall and the Clover Hill recall are connected to the same outbreak strain and the same manufacturer.

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.

In 2021, Listeria in queso fresco made by El Abuelito Cheese Inc. sickened 13 people in 4 states, with 12 hospitalizations and 1 death. The FDA has acknowledged that since 2020 a significant number of outbreaks have been attributed to fresh, soft, queso fresco-type cheeses.

What Should I Do?

Consumers who bought the recalled cheese are urged not to eat, sell, or serve it, and to return it to the place of purchase in its original packaging for a full refund. Consumers with questions can contact the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission.

The FDA and CDC recommend throwing away any recalled cheese and sanitizing refrigerators, containers, and surfaces it may have touched, because Listeria can survive in very cold temperatures and spread to other foods.

For ongoing updates, you can check the FDA outbreak investigation and the CDC outbreak page. If you or a family member got sick, our lawyers may be able to help you understand your legal options.

Do I Have a Clover Hill Dairy Cheese Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Clover Hill Dairy cheese injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know got sick from Clover Hill Dairy 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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