Overview
- Federal agencies have linked eight confirmed Listeria infections across Maryland, New York and Virginia to a strain found in Clover Hill Dairy soft ricotta/requeson, with seven hospitalizations and one death reported.
- Clover Hill Dairy voluntarily recalled all soft ricotta/requeson produced under manufacturer permit 24-128 and the Maryland Department of Health suspended the dairy’s operating license after an unopened 18-pound bucket tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
- Whole genome sequencing, a genetic test that matches bacterial strains from people and food, connected patient samples to cheese from the facility and showed related samples collected between March 6, 2023 and May 9, 2026, which suggests a prolonged or persistent contamination source.
- Recalled products include small clamshells and bulk buckets that may have been repackaged or relabeled for third-party distributors and farmers’ markets, so consumers should check for the plant number 24-128 and discard or return suspect items and thoroughly sanitize surfaces.
- Investigators say the probe is ongoing and it is not yet clear whether the recalled cheese explains all cases, so officials are continuing traceback and testing and consumers at higher risk should seek medical advice if they develop symptoms.