The soft-cheese Listeria outbreak we've been following now includes a death — and a chip recall just hit the FDA's highest risk tier. If you're just joining us: a multistate Listeria outbreak tied to soft cheese is under FDA and CDC investigation, with illnesses linked to requesón distributed across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. Clover Hill Dairy had already expanded its recall to its full cheese line, and the CDC had flagged La Ceiba Foods requesón in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. — while investigators kept looking for other linked products. This is Food Recall Watch. A death, a second brand name, and potato chips pulled off Indiana shelves. Cera, start with the one that got worse. If you want to keep up with Soft cheese listeria outbreak, tap follow so the next episode lands in your feed. From Pritzker Law Firm:
Requesón — a fresh, soft, ricotta-style cheese — made by Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland, is the source of a deadly, multi-year Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in Maryland, New York, and Virginia. Federal and state health officials have linked 12 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations, and one death to the tainted cheese as of June 24, 2026. Clover Hill has recalled all of its cheeses, and the Maryland Department of Health has suspended the dairy’s operating license.
The Clover Hill Dairy requesón outbreak has a number it didn't have before: one death, in Maryland. Twelve illnesses now, ten hospitalizations — Illinois, Maryland, New York, Virginia. And it's two recalls, not one. Clover Hill on June 3rd, then Nelson & Isa Lacteos on June 5th — same cheese, second name on the label. There it is. Same contaminated requesón, second brand name — Nelson & Isa Lacteos. If you've got soft ricotta in the fridge, the brand on the front doesn't clear you. Which is why the plant number matters more than the brand. Permit 24-128 on the label — that's the link tying both recalls together. And it may have been relabeled again. Clover Hill's license got suspended and the recall landed June 3rd — but people were eating this back in May. That lag we keep hitting? It's got a death attached to it now. So today's checkpoint on this same soft-cheese outbreak: Maryland has pulled the dairy's operating license while the recalls are still running. So the verdict: do not eat it, do not risk it. And here's the ugly part — Pritzker says Listeria can take up to 70 days to show. You might've eaten it in May and still be inside the window. From Jess Poxson at WKFR:
A recall of certain Zapp's and Dirty brand potato chips has been upgraded to the FDA's most serious risk level due to possible Salmonella contamination. The chips were initially recalled in May by Utz Quality Foods. The Food and Drug Administration has now classified it as a Class I recall. This means there is a reasonable probability that consuming the product could cause serious health problems or death.
Zapp's and Dirty brand chips — recalled back in May by Utz Quality Foods for possible Salmonella, and the FDA has now bumped the recall to Class I. That's the most serious level. For Zapp's, you're looking at Bayou Blackened Ranch in 1.5, 2.5, and 8-ounce bags; Big Cheezy; and Salt and Vinegar. For Dirty, it's Salt and Vinegar, Maui Onion, and Sour Cream and Onion. Check the flavor and the bag size against your pantry. Okay, finally a straightforward one. Chips, sealed bag, Salmonella — you toss it or you take it back to the store. No smell test, no maybe. But the headline says Indiana, and I don't buy that these bags only landed in one state. Utz is a national name — if it's on shelves in Indiana, somebody in Ohio and Kentucky has the exact same bag in their cart right now. Fair point — the WKFR notice is written for an Indiana audience, but the recall itself is Utz's product line. If you're outside Indiana, match the brand and flavor anyway. And Class I means the FDA thinks eating this could actually kill someone with a weak immune system. This is the top of the ladder, way past a flavor complaint. Here's Food Safety News:
Raaw Energy is voluntarily notifying the public of an expansion of a recall involving products produced between 7/17/25 and 12/23/25 due to possible Listeria contamination. Another batch date is 3/31/26 Beef and Turkey Medley. Some products produced during this timeframe were not tested, and bacterial presence was identified during the same period. As a result, products manufactured within these dates could possibly be affected.
So the Raaw Energy recall grew again — same July-to-December 2025 window we talked about yesterday, but now there's a new batch date bolted on: 3/31/26 Beef and Turkey Medley. Right. That single date is the update. Beef and Turkey Medley, produced 3/31/26 — that's what a listener checks the bag for. Everything else on this expansion, we already had. And here's what gets me — the notice flat out says some products in that window weren't even tested, but bacteria showed up during the same period. So they're pulling on suspicion. Fine, pull it, but that means my cabinet bag could be clean and I still toss it. Discard it. The company's own guidance is discard immediately — and pay attention to the bowls, the counters, whatever the food touched. Listeria can spread from surfaces, and an infected pet can carry it without ever looking sick. That's the part people miss. The dog looks totally fine and it's still moving this stuff onto your kitchen. Wash the bowl like you mean it. If Food Recall Watch helps you get clear, practical safety updates, try Measles Outbreak Daily: daily U.S. measles case counts, MMR vaccine policy, and outbreak tracking for parents, teachers, and clinicians who want real numbers. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
You’ll find links to every story we covered today in the show notes. If something affected your pantry, fridge, or shopping list, they’re there when you want to take a closer look.
That’s Food Recall Watch for today. This is a Lantern Podcast.