Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Rico Enchiladas recall: Potential for Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Recall published 2+ years ago

Potential for Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Rico Other food products — recalled other food productsRico Other food products — recalled other food products (photo 2)Rico Other food products — recalled other food products (photo 3)
3 photos 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: Rico Brand of Salt Lake City, Utah is voluntary recalling Ready-to-eat Enchiladas made with Queso Fresco containing cheese as part of the voluntary recall from Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and 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
February 12, 2024
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Rico
Product type
Other food products
Distribution
Utah
Reports of harm
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with these products.

Products covered by this recall

Enchiladas

What the company announced

  • Brand: Rico · Product Name: Cheese Enchiladas with Red 4/pkg, · UPC: 65366006001 · Size: 14.5 oz
  • Brand: Rico · Product Name: Cheese Enchiladas with Green 4/pkg, · UPC: 65366006002 · Size: 14.5 oz
  • Brand: Rico · Product Name: Chicken Enchilada with Rice & Beans/Green · UPC: 65366006015 · Size: 14 oz
  • Brand: Rico · Product Name: Chicken Enchilada with Mole, Rice & Beans, · UPC: 65366006016 · Size: 14 oz

Rico Brand of Salt Lake City, Utah is voluntary recalling Ready-to-eat Enchiladas made with Queso Fresco containing cheese as part of the voluntary recall from Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and 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, Listeri a infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Rico Enchiladas were distributed in northern Utah Supermarkets (Smith’s, Harmons, Macey’s The Store, Fresh Markets).

Recalled products include the products below. They are packaged in a in a Deep Meal tray – Plant Fiber - Film 800.

With the following lot numbers and expiration dates: Lot. 0234 02/13/24, Lot. 0264 02/16/24, Lot. 0304 02/20/24, Lot. 0334 02/23/24. These codes can be found attached to the main label on a white label.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with these products.

Customers who have purchased this product are advised to dispose of it or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Additionally, customers can contact Rico Brand at 801-433-9923 from Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. MST, or send an email to [email protected] for further assistance.

Jorge Fierro

CEO

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 2 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.

  • 14.5 oz
  • 14 oz

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

Rico — 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. 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.
  3. If anyone in the household is pregnant, over 65 or immunocompromised, call a clinician for advice even if nobody feels ill. That conversation is quick and it is the whole point of a Listeria recall.
  4. 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.

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: Customers who have purchased this product are advised to dispose of it or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Company contact: Rico Brand — Consumers: Rico Brand, 801-433-9923, [email protected]

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 Rico other food products recalled?

Potential for Listeria monocytogenes contamination Rico Brand of Salt Lake City, Utah is voluntary recalling Ready-to-eat Enchiladas made with Queso Fresco containing cheese as part of the voluntary recall from Rizo-Lopez Foods, Inc. due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and 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: Customers who have purchased this product are advised to dispose of it or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Utah.

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