CDC links multistate listeria outbreak to recalled soft ricotta and requesón cheese

ByDental Info

Eight people in Maryland, New York and Virginia were sickened in a listeria outbreak investigation linked to recalled Clover Hill Dairy cheeses. Seven were hospitalized and one died.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned consumers not to eat recalled requesón and soft ricotta cheese made by Clover Hill Dairy after eight people in Maryland, New York and Virginia became sick in a multistate listeria outbreak investigation.

Seven of the patients were hospitalized, and one person in Maryland died, according to the CDC warning dated June 5, 2026. Maryland also suspended Clover Hill Dairy’s operating license as federal and state officials continued examining the products and the illnesses.

The warning identifies the recalled cheeses as linked to the outbreak investigation. It does not establish that the cheese caused every illness as a final epidemiologic conclusion, and the investigation had not been described as closed in the approved information.

What officials have confirmed

The illnesses involve three states: Maryland, New York and Virginia. The combination of eight identified illnesses, seven hospitalizations and one death makes the recall a significant food-safety concern even though the number of confirmed patients remains limited.

The products at issue are recalled Clover Hill Dairy requesón and soft ricotta cheese. Requesón is a soft cheese, but the CDC warning is tied to the recalled products identified in the investigation. The available information does not support a conclusion that all soft cheeses are contaminated.

Maryland’s suspension of the dairy’s operating license was an action taken while the investigation continued. The packet does not describe the duration of the suspension or provide additional details about the state’s action.

In an investigation update dated June 4, the CDC said CDC, FDA and state officials were collecting epidemiologic, laboratory and traceback data. Those efforts examine patient information, laboratory evidence and the path products took from production toward consumers.

What consumers should do

The CDC’s instruction is direct: consumers should not eat the recalled Clover Hill Dairy requesón or soft ricotta cheese. Consumers who have the recalled products should discard or return them, following the agency’s investigation guidance.

The warning has potential significance beyond the three states where patients were identified because recalled cheese may have been distributed through retail channels. The approved information does not provide the full distribution footprint, specific package sizes, lot codes, retailers or other identifiers needed to determine whether a particular package is affected.

For that reason, consumers should rely on current official recall and public-health notices rather than assume that the issue is resolved. The FDA maintains a national index of food and dietary-supplement safety alerts, including recalls, public-health alerts and consumer advisories.

Who faces greater risk

Listeria infection presents elevated risks for pregnant people, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC warning. Those groups should take the recall guidance particularly seriously and avoid recalled products.

The available information does not provide a broader product list or say that additional cheeses were ultimately added to the recall. It also does not provide a final epidemiologic finding tying every illness to the recalled cheese.

What happens next

CDC, FDA and state investigators were continuing to compare epidemiologic and laboratory information with traceback data. They were also investigating whether additional cheeses or other products were linked to the outbreak.

No completion deadline was provided. The approved information likewise does not include a newer outbreak-specific update confirming that the investigation has ended or clarifying whether the product list changed.

Until a later official notice provides that information, consumers should check current CDC and FDA alerts, avoid the recalled Clover Hill Dairy cheeses and discard or return products covered by the recall. The investigation’s next public significance will depend on whether officials identify additional linked products or issue a final update.

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