Should you throw out Clover Hill cheese? What the expanded Listeria recall means

If you have Clover Hill cheese at home, the practical answer is yes: check it now and do not eat it if it may be part of the recall. On June 18, 2026, Clover Hill Dairy expanded its recall from certain requesón and soft ricotta products to all Clover Hill Dairy brand cheeses currently on the market.

That broader recall matters because some products may not be easy to identify at a glance. FDA says Clover Hill products were sold from the company’s retail market, at farmers markets, and through third-party distributors. Some products also may have been relabeled under other brand names.

What changed in the recall

Earlier public warnings focused on requesón and soft ricotta tied to a multistate Listeria outbreak. The June 18 recall now covers Clover Hill cheeses made at the facility across multiple categories, including soft cheeses, harder cheeses, flavored cheeses, smoked cheeses, and snack-pack products.

FDA’s outbreak investigation says six product samples of requesón cheese matched the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes. One environmental sample from the facility also matched the outbreak strain. The investigation is still ongoing, and FDA says it may update the product list as more information becomes available.

Why identification may be tricky

This is not just a matter of checking for one tub of ricotta. FDA says distribution has been confirmed in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., but products could have traveled farther. Some recalled cheese may also have been sold under names such as KESSO, QUESOS LA RICURA, IZALCO, DE MI PUEBLO, or RIO LINDO.

If packaging is still available, check the manufacturer information. FDA says clamshell containers should identify the Clover Hill Dairy manufacturer permit or plant number as 24-128. If you bought cheese at a farmers market, small retailer, or deli counter and cannot confirm who made it, do not eat it until you can verify the source.

What to do right now

Do not taste-test it. Even a small amount can carry risk.
Throw it away or return it. FDA and CDC say people should not eat, sell, or serve recalled cheese. If you can, return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
Check your refrigerator and freezer. If you froze cheese without the original packaging and cannot tell whether it is recalled, FDA says to throw it away.
Clean and sanitize surfaces or containers it touched. FDA says Listeria can survive at refrigerator temperatures and spread to other foods and surfaces.
Wash your hands after handling the package or cleaning up.

Who is at higher risk for severe illness

Listeria can make anyone sick, but severe illness is more likely in pregnant people, adults 65 and older, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems. That includes some people being treated for cancer, people living with transplant-related immune suppression, and others taking medicines that lower immune defenses.

Pregnancy deserves special attention. ACOG says listeriosis in pregnancy may look like a mild flu-like illness in the pregnant person, but it can still seriously affect the fetus or newborn. Pregnancy-related infection has been associated with miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, and life-threatening newborn infection.

Older adults and immunocompromised people are more likely to develop invasive listeriosis, meaning the infection spreads beyond the gut. That is why the same exposure that causes a short illness in one person can lead to hospitalization in another.

What symptoms to watch for

CDC says Listeria can cause two broad types of illness. An intestinal illness usually starts within 24 hours after eating contaminated food and often causes diarrhea and vomiting. It is usually mild and often lasts 1 to 3 days.

The more serious form, invasive listeriosis, usually starts within 2 weeks after eating contaminated food. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures.

In pregnancy, symptoms may be easy to miss and may look like fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. Not everyone who eats a contaminated food becomes ill, but higher-risk people should take symptoms seriously.

When to call a clinician

Contact a clinician if both of these are true: you ate recalled cheese or cheese linked to the outbreak, and you have a fever plus other symptoms of listeriosis such as fatigue or muscle aches. CDC says this step is especially important if you are pregnant, age 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system.

For pregnancy, ACOG says people with no symptoms generally are not tested or treated only because they ate a recalled product. But a pregnant person with a fever higher than 100.6°F and symptoms that fit listeriosis should seek prompt obstetric or medical evaluation.

Seek urgent medical care if symptoms include confusion, a stiff neck, seizures, or other signs that the illness may be affecting more than the stomach.

What is known, and what is still under review

As of June 9, 2026, CDC had reported 9 outbreak-related illnesses in Maryland, New York, and Virginia. Eight people had been hospitalized, and one death had been reported from Maryland. CDC’s outbreak page was updated again on June 18, 2026, to reflect the broader recall action.

What is clear right now is that officials no longer view this as only a narrow soft-ricotta problem. The recall now covers all Clover Hill Dairy brand cheeses currently on the market while FDA and state partners continue testing and traceback work.

One useful piece of context: a CDC MMWR report on an earlier outbreak found that fresh, soft cheeses made with pasteurized milk can still become contaminated after pasteurization. Because these cheeses are high-moisture foods, Listeria can continue growing during refrigerated storage.

The next reasonable step for most readers is simple: check any Clover Hill cheese you have, do not eat anything that may be included, clean anything it touched, and follow the FDA recall notice and CDC outbreak page for updated product details.

Sources

Editorial note: Weence articles are researched from cited public-health, medical, regulatory, journal, and reputable news sources and may be drafted with AI assistance. They are checked for source support, clarity, and safety guardrails before publication.

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Research findings can be early or incomplete, and health guidance can change. Always talk with a qualified healthcare professional about personal symptoms, diagnosis, medications, vaccines, screenings, or treatment decisions. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call emergency services right away.