Texas Clover Hill Dairy Cheese Listeria Lawsuit

Clover Hill Dairy expanded its recall to include all of its cheese after it was linked to a deadly, multi-state Listeria outbreak that began in 2023.

Need a Texas Listeria Food Poisoning Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you got sick after eating Clover Hill Dairy cheese, contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.

Clover Hill Dairy Expands Recall to All Cheese in Deadly Listeria Outbreak

In June 2026, Clover Hill Dairy of Mechanicsville, Maryland expanded its recall to include all of its Clover Hill Dairy brand cheese due to the potential for contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The company first recalled only its soft ricotta and requeson cheese on June 3, 2026.

The expanded recall, announced June 18, 2026, now covers every hard and soft cheese the company makes. The cheese has been linked to a multi-state, multi-year Listeria outbreak first reported by the FDA and CDC earlier that month. Due to the public health risk, the Maryland Department of Health suspended the company’s operating license and issued a consumer advisory.

The problem was discovered when state inspectors found Listeria in a sample of Clover Hill requeson that had been repackaged at a retailer. It was confirmed when Listeria was detected in an unopened 18-pound bucket of the company’s requeson cheese, and whole genome sequencing matched that strain to the one making people sick.

What Is the Listeria Risk?

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The warning signs of an infection can include:

• High fever
• Severe headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion and loss of balance
• Muscle aches and tiredness
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

Which Products Are Affected?

The expanded recall covers all Clover Hill Dairy brand cheese, both hard and soft. Health officials have identified the following recalled products:

• Soft cuajada and ricotta cheese in buckets, tubs, bags, and clamshells
• Mild and sharp cheese varieties, including Yummy Cheddar, White Cheddar, White Colby, Monterey Jack, and Marble Jack
• Pepper jack varieties, including Jalapeno Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Sizzlin Colby with Habanero Peppers
• Fresh Cheddar Curd, snack packs, cheese stix, and smoked cheddar
• Flavored cheeses, including Horseradish and Old Bay Cheddar
• Cheese relabeled under other brand names, including KESSO, QUESOS LA RICURA, IZALCO, DE MI PUEBLO, and RIO LINDO

Retail clamshell containers should show the manufacturer permit number “24-128.” Because the cheese was often repackaged, consumers should check the manufacturer information on the package where available.

Where Was The Cheese Sold?

Clover Hill Dairy cheese is sold directly from the company’s retail market, at farmers markets, and through third-party distributors in North Carolina, New York, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. The original soft ricotta/requeson cheese was distributed from May 4 through May 30, 2026, and officials note the product could have been distributed further.

Federal officials recommend that anyone with recalled cheese at home not eat it and throw it away, then sanitize any refrigerators, containers, and surfaces it may have touched. For updates, the CDC outbreak page is being updated as the investigation continues.

How Many People Were Affected?

As of June 29, 2026, 12 people across 4 states (Maryland, New York, Virginia and Illinois) have been infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria, including 10 people who have been hospitalized, and 1 person in Maryland who died. The recall notice ties the illnesses, hospitalizations, and death to the soft cheese products.

A Related Recall: Nelson & Isa Requeson Cheese

Days before the Clover Hill recall, Nelson & Isa Lacteos LLC of Bayshore, New York, recalled 1-pound packages of requeson cheese after inspectors found Listeria in an 18-pound container of Clover Hill Dairy requeson that had been repacked into smaller containers.

Previous Listeria Outbreaks Linked to Soft Cheese

This outbreak is part of a pattern with Listeria in soft cheeses. In 2024, the FDA and CDC linked a deadly outbreak to queso fresco and cotija cheese made by Rizo-López Foods of Modesto, California. That outbreak was linked to 26 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths, including a death in Texas.

Another outbreak occurred in 2021, when 13 people got sick with Listeria after eating queso fresco made by El Abuelito Cheese Inc. Of the 13 people who got sick, 12 were hospitalized and 1 person died.

Legal Help for Listeria Victims in Texas

Because soft cheese is frequently repackaged and relabeled under many brand names, Texans may not realize the cheese they bought is connected to a recall. The 2024 queso fresco outbreak already claimed a life in Texas, and this Clover Hill outbreak has been linked to a death in Maryland.

Texans who were sickened by recalled Clover Hill Dairy cheese may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. A Texas food poisoning lawyer can help you understand your legal options.

Need a Texas Listeria Lawsuit?

Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years of experience, participation in over 600 jury trials, and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.