Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Clover Hill Dairy Various sizes of Hard and Soft Cheese including: Ricotta Cheese recall: Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

Recall published 4 months ago

Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Clover Hill Dairy Dairy — recalled dairy
Photo published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Listeria contamination

Listeria is the reason this product was pulled, and it is the one food hazard where "it is still in date and it smells fine" tells you nothing at all.

What the notice says: June 18, 2026 - 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 , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, or others with weakened immune systems.

Why it matters: Listeria monocytogenes is unusual among foodborne bacteria because it keeps growing at refrigerator temperature. A contaminated pack does not become safer for sitting in the cold, and it will look, smell and taste completely normal.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

Listeriosis is mild or silent in most healthy adults, but it is serious for pregnant people, newborns, adults over 65 and anyone whose immune system is suppressed. The CDC describes intestinal illness as diarrhoea and vomiting, and invasive illness as fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. In pregnancy it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or infection in the newborn even when the parent feels only mildly unwell. Symptoms can start within a day or not appear for weeks, so tell any doctor you see that you ate a recalled product and give them the date.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
June 18, 2026
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Clover Hill Dairy
Product type
Dairy
Distribution
Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington

Products covered by this recall

Various sizes of Hard and Soft Cheese including: Ricotta Cheese, Soft Cuajada in Brine, Soft Cuajada (vacuum sealed), Cuajada (vacuum sealed, Yummy Cheddar, White Cheddar, White Colby, Monterey Jack, Marble Jack, Fresh Cheddar Curd, Cheddar, Flavored Chee

What the company announced

June 18, 2026 - 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 , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, or others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and still births among pregnant women.

Clover Hill Dairy products are sold directly from their retail market, at farmers markets, and through third party distributors in North Carolina, New York, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Products may be relabeled under a different brand name when distributed, including but not limited to KESSO, QUESOS LA RICURA, IZALCO, DE MI PUEBLO, RIO LINDO. Consumers are urged to check the manufacturer information on packages, if available. The label on clamshell containers should identify the Clover Hill Dairy manufacturer permit (or plant) number as “24-128”.

All Clover Hill Dairy brand cheeses currently on the market are included in this recall. Recalled products include the following:

  • Product Name: Soft Cuajada in Brine · Quantity / Sizes: 5-gallon bucket (30-lbs), 2-gallon bucket (14-lbs)
  • Product Name: Soft Cuajada (vacuum sealed) · Quantity / Sizes: 5-lb bags, 2.5-lb clam shell, 0.90-lb (14- oz) clam shell
  • Product Name: Cuajada (vacuum sealed) · Quantity / Sizes: 30-lb boxes
  • Product Name: Ricotta · Quantity / Sizes: 5-gallon bucket (40-lbs), 2-gallon bucket (18-lbs), 2.5-lb tubs, 1-lb clam shell
  • Product Name: Soft Cuajada Crumbs
  • Product Name: Mild Cheese Varieties - Yummy Cheddar, White Cheddar, White Colby, Monterey Jack, Marble Jack · Quantity / Sizes: 1/2-lb, 1-lb, 2.5-lbs, 5-lbs, 40-lbs
  • Product Name: Mild Cheese Varieties - Snack Pack Assorted Regular Mild Stix White Colby, Marble Jack, Yummy Cheddar · Quantity / Sizes: Approx 0.40-lbs (6.4-oz)
  • Product Name: Mild Cheese Varieties - 3-in-A-Pack Assorted White Colby, Marble Jack, Yummy Cheddar · Quantity / Sizes: Approx. 0.20-lbs (3.2-oz)
  • Product Name: Mild Cheese Varieties - Fresh Cheddar Curd · Quantity / Sizes: 0.75-lb box, 1.50-lb box
  • Product Name: Sharp Cheese Varieties - Cheddar, Yummy Cheddar, White Cheddar, Monterey Jack · Quantity / Sizes: 1/2-lb, 1-lb, 2.5-lbs, 5-lbs
  • Product Name: Sharp Cheese Snack Pack Sharp Stix White or Yellow · Quantity / Sizes: Regular size Approx 0.40-lbs (6.4-oz)
  • Product Name: Flavored Cheese - Horseradish · Quantity / Sizes: 1/2-lb, 1-lb, 2.5-lb, 5-lb, 40-lb
  • Product Name: Flavored Cheese - Old Bay Cheddar · Quantity / Sizes: 1/2-lb, 1-lb, 2.5-lb, 5-lb, 40-lb
  • Product Name: Pepper Jack Cheese Varieties - Jalapeno Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Sizzlin Colby with Habanero Peppers · Quantity / Sizes: 1/2-lb, 1-lb, 2.5-lb, 5-lb, 40-lb
  • Product Name: Pepper Jack Cheese Varieties - Snack Pack Assorted Pepperjack Stix - Jalapeno Cheddar, Pepper Jack · Quantity / Sizes: Regular size Approx 0.40-lbs (6.4-oz)
  • Product Name: Pepper Jack Cheese Varieties - 3-in-a-Pack Assorted Jalapeno Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Sizzlin Colby · Quantity / Sizes: Approx. 0.20-lbs (3.2-oz)
  • Product Name: Smoked Cheddar Cheese Varieties - Cheddar, White Cheddar · Quantity / Sizes: 1/2-lb, 1-lb
  • Product Name: Smoked Pepper Cheese Varieties - Jalapeno Cheddar · Quantity / Sizes: 1/2-lb pieces, 1-lb pieces

To date, there have been 9 illnesses, 8 hospitalizations, and 1 death linked to the soft cheese products.

Customers should not eat, sell, or serve the recalled cheese. Please return to the point of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission on behalf of Clover Hill Dairy at 240-528-8850 extension 327 Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm eastern standard time.

Clover Hill Dairy board and staff members sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and hardships caused by this recall, and we sincerely hope to correct this problem as soon as it is safely possible. Thank you for your understanding, we look forward to serving our valued customers again in the near future.

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 20 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 5 gallon
  • 30 lbs
  • 2 gallon
  • 14 lbs
  • 5 lb
  • 2.5 lb
  • 0.90 lb
  • 30 lb
  • 40 lbs
  • 18 lbs
  • 1 lb
  • 2 lb
  • 2.5 lbs
  • 5 lbs
  • 0.40 lbs
  • 6.4 oz
  • 0.20 lbs
  • 3.2 oz
  • 0.75 lb
  • 1.50 lb

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Listeria

Clover Hill Dairy — Listeria is the reason this product was pulled, and it is the one food hazard where "it is still in date and it smells fine" tells you nothing at all.

  1. Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.
  2. Photograph the label, the lot code and the date mark before the pack leaves the house — that picture is what a refund claim runs on.
  3. Throw it out in a sealed bag, or return it to the store. Either is accepted; what matters is that nobody else eats it.
  4. Wash and then sanitise anything the food touched: the fridge shelf and drawer, chopping boards, knives, counters and your hands. Listeria colonises cold surfaces and can survive there after the food is gone.

How to get your money back

Food recalls carry a full refund, and in the United States you usually do not need the receipt or the packaging.

  • Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.
  • Bought it online? Open the order in your account and use the refund option; marketplace sellers are required to honour a federal recall.
  • If the store refuses, contact the recalling company using the details on this page. The firm, not the shop, carries the cost of a recall.
  • If you have a loyalty card, the retailer can look the purchase up in your history — Kroger, Costco and Walmart all do this routinely.

Remedy named in the notice: Please return to the point of purchase for a full refund.

Company contact: Clover Hill Dairy, LLC. — Consumers: Clover Hill Dairy, 240-528-8850 extension 327

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Clover Hill Dairy dairy recalled?

Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. June 18, 2026 - 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 , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, or others with weakened immune systems.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

The notice does not publish package codes for this recall. Compare the product name, size and the purchase window against the official FDA — Company recall announcements record, and contact the company if you are unsure.

What should I do with it right now?

Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: Please return to the point of purchase for a full refund.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington.

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